Supplier: Eklektikon
Producer: Pontiglio Winery
Category: Wine - Still - Orange
Region: Ionian Islands, Greece
Appellation: Corfu
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Notes
Kakotrygis is the main white variety of the island of Corfu, although quite unknown outside of it. The family of Pontiglio (meaning stubbornness") is stubbornly preserving the island's traditions, against pressures from tourism, and sustainably cultivates Kakotrygis and Skopelitiko. This is their first orange Kakotrygis, with only a couple of days of skin contact, to tame its aggressive character. After all, its name means "hard to harvest".
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Pontiglio Winery is located in an area with a very rich history in viticulture. The cultivation of the vine is lost in the depths of the centuries. There are many historical accounts of this: Homer is first mentioned for the wine and the cultivation of the vineyard in Corfu, when during the hospitality of Odysseus in the land of the Phaeacians, he was offered plenty of wine.
An important reference for viticulture in Corfu is found in Xenophon's Greek (6.2.6). In 373 BC. the Spartan general Mnasippos landed in Corfu and his soldiers looted "… the rural areas, which were beautifully cultivated and planted, as well as the majestic mansions and wine warehouses built on the farms; to the point that they do not accept to drink anything other than aromatic wine. "
Around 200 AD the Athenian in his Sophists mentions that Corfiot wine is pleasant when it ages.
Stefanos Mastrakas in "A description of Korfos made in 1630" states that Corfu "… produces honey, wax and a large amount of oil, but even greater wine of perfect quality…".
Stylianos Vlassopoulos in the "Statistical and Historical News about Corfu" of the early 19th century, regarding wine, states that about 120,000 barrels are produced per year.
But the viticulture in this place received several blows. The first blow came in the late 19th century when the downy mildew (plasmopara viticola) appeared, which in the first years completely destroyed the crops. Until the people managed to face him, several vineyards were abandoned. The second blow came after the end of World War II. Economic recession and lack of hands forced farmers to go out and plant olives. Where today we see olives up to 70 years old, there was a vineyard. The third blow came with tourism. People found easier money and left the vineyards. Also the value of the land went up and all laziness became plots since in Greece there has been no spatial planning. The last blow came in the late 1980s when lying down was subsidized.
Then we decided to continue this tradition, since our family had the vineyards from the middle of the 19th century (there are still contracts from the acquisition of the vineyards by our ancestors from the time of English rule), and is active in production of wine since then.
As an island, Corfu has small areas of arable land. From the 70's tourism began to develop. The value of the land went up sharply and all the agricultural lands became plots, because in Greece no spatial planning has been done to determine the uses of the land. Thus the agricultural land was fragmented. There are no large pieces single for any type of crop.
Our winery therefore exploits its privately owned vineyards which unfortunately are scattered throughout the area of Lefkimi, 12 in number. Along with them, he exploits the vineyards of other small farmers scattered throughout southern Corfu.
Initially the family produced its wine on a small hemp in the village of Lefkimmi, maintaining the tradition of centuries from generation to generation. However, the narrowness of the space in the village together with other problems, such as that of the sewerage, forced us to find another solution. So from 2006 we started to build a new modern winery in one of our vineyards, outside the village now, where here began the upgrade of the quality of our wines. Our winery is small and its capacity reaches 50,000 liters.