Limnio (LIM-nee-oh) is a red

Greek wine Greece is one of the oldest wine- producing regions in the world and among the first wine-producing territories in Europe. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago where wine was produced on a household or communal ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, Zante currant, currant, sultana (grape), sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimp ...

that is indigenous to the Greek island of

Lemnos Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...

. The grape has had a long history of wine production that may extend back to

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

with wine historians widely believing it was the grape variety, ''Lemnia'', that was described by

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

as producing the famous red Lemnian wine.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 96 Oxford University Press 1996 According to wine expert Oz Clarke, Limnio is "One of Greece's most important red vines."Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 116-117 Harcourt Books 2001

History

According to wine expert

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

, Limnio was almost certainly the ''Lemnia'' grape described by Aristotle as a specialty of the island of LimnosJ. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 225 Mitchell Beazley 1986 -an assessment shared by other wine experts and historians.A. Domine (ed.) ''Wine'', pp. 729, Ullmann Publishing, 2008 A ''Limnia'' grape was also referenced in Ancient Greek writings by

Hesiod Hesiod ( or ; ''Hēsíodos''; ) was an ancient Greece, Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer.M. L. West, ''Hesiod: Theogony'', Oxford University Press (1966), p. 40.Jasper Gr ...

and Polydeuctes.Greek Winemakers Association ''""'' Limnio, Accessed: December 28th, 2010

Wine regions

Today, Limnio is still being produced on Lemnos, though it is not utilized in the

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...

wine produced on the island. (Technically the only appellation wine produced on Lemnos is from

Muscat of Alexandria Muscat of Alexandria is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of ''Vitis vinifera''. It is considered an "ancient vine", and wine experts believe it is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence.J. Robi ...

According to information by the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lemnos (E.A.S.) the total production of Muscat of Alexandria (white wine), delivered by the producers to the Union, was 2,449 tonnes of grapes, while Limnio (Kalambaki) was 86 tones.) with notable plantings around

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

. It is a principal grape variety in the Playies Melitona Appellation of Origin (A.O.) as well as the Drama TI (a Greek wine region similar to a '' vin de pays'') in Macedonia.T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 434-436 Dorling Kindersley 2005

Viticulture and winemaking

Limnio vines are known for their hardiness and ability to survive harsh droughts. The grapes have the ability to produce high must weights that translates into noticeable alcohol levels. They are generally late ripening with

phenols In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxyl groups (− O H) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, . Phenolic compounds ar ...

that will produces enhanced herbaceous tones if the grapes are not harvested early. Today it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in Meritage-style wines. Other grape varieties that may be blended with Limnio include

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux (wine), Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire (wine), Loire's C ...

, Cinsaut, Grenache, Petite Sirah,

Merlot Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...

, Aghiorgitiko and Xynomavro.

Wine styles and food pairing

As a varietal, Limnio produces full bodied wines with moderate

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

s and

acidity An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis acid. The first category of acids are the ...

levels and a distinctive

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

aroma.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 141 Abbeville Press 2003 When blended, Limnio adds

color Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...

, weight, acidity and an herbal aroma which Oz Clarke describes as reminiscent of

bay leaves The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavour that a bay leaf ...

. Wines made from Limnio are often paired with aged cheeses, game meat and roasted dishes.Nestor Imports '
Greek Grape Varietals
"'' Limnio entry. Accessed: December 28th, 2010

Synonyms

Limnio is also known under the synonyms Kalabaki, Kalambaki, Kalampaki, Lembiotiko, Lemnia, Lemnio, Lemniotico, Lemniotiko, Limniotico, Mavro Limnio, Ntourou Kara, and Ntoyrou Kara.

References

{{reflist Grape varieties of Greece Red wine grape varieties Lemnos