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Macedonia

Greece

Macedonia

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Greece wine regions

About Macedonia

Macedonia is the most important wine region of northern Greece and the home of Xinomavro. The continental climate, sheltered by the Pindus mountains to the west and the Rhodope range to the north, gives the slow ripening that Xinomavro needs. Four PDOs structure the region: Naoussa on the slopes of Mount Vermio is the benchmark for tannic, age-worthy Xinomavro; Amyndeon at altitude on the Petron-Vegoritida lake plateau makes lighter Xinomavro reds, rosés and sparkling wines; Goumenissa blends Xinomavro with the softer Negoska; and Slopes of Meliton on the Sithonia peninsula is the home of Domaine Porto Carras. PGI Macedonia covers the wider region, with prefecture-level PGIs (Drama, Florina, Halkidiki, Thessaloniki, Mount Athos, Pella, Kavala) supporting both indigenous and international varieties. Producers from Boutari and Kir-Yianni to Thymiopoulos, Karydas and Dalamara, plus Gerovassiliou's rescue of Malagousia from near-extinction, anchor modern Macedonia.

PDOs & PGIs

What Macedonia produces

PGI Macedonia

The umbrella designation for all of northern Greece and the label most travelers meet first. Xinomavro-led reds and fresh whites that let producers blend across the region's prefectures.

Similar styles

Lands in the same glass.

Like the reds

Barolo

Piedmont, Italy

Brunello di Montalcino

Tuscany, Italy

Taurasi

Campania, Italy

Like the whites

Pfalz

Pfalz, Germany

Kamptal

Kamptal, Austria

Rueda

Spain

Pouilly-Fuissé

Burgundy, France

Soave Classico

Veneto, Italy

Grapes of Macedonia

Assyrtiko

Body
Sweetness
Acidity
lemon pithsea saltgreen applecrushed stone

Mainland plantings on cooler northern slopes, often blended with Malagousia or other native whites

Malagousia

Body
Sweetness
Acidity
white peachjasminebasilgreen melon

A widely planted aromatic white across the Halkidiki peninsula, including Mount Athos

Xinomavro

Body
Tannins
Sweetness
Acidity
sour cherrytomato leafdried herbsrose petal

The benchmark site for Xinomavro: tannic, savoury, age-worthy reds with rose petal and tomato leaf

What it tastes like

Body

Full

Acidity

Zippy

Tannin

Drying

Oak

Some oak

Ripeness

Fresh

Concentration

Medium

Reds

Full-bodied and zippy, with drying tannin and some oak; red fruit, black fruit and a herbal edge, built to age.

red fruit · black fruit · herbal · floral · savoury

Body

Medium

Acidity

Bright

Oak

A touch of oak

Ripeness

Ripe

Concentration

Medium

Whites

Medium-bodied and bright; stone fruit, a herbal edge and a floral lift.

stone fruit · herbal · floral · savoury · earthy

Cork's estimate.

Climate

ContinentalAltitudeShelteredCool nightsLong ripening

Northern Greece's mountain walls do the work here. Winters are cold, summers warm but rarely extreme, and the altitude of the vineyard zones, from Naoussa's slopes up to the Amyndeon plateau, brings cool nights that stretch Xinomavro's ripening deep into October. Amyndeon's lakes soften the frost risk on what is otherwise the coolest, most continental vineyard land in Greece.

Terroir

LimestoneClaySchistSteep slopesVolcanic

Limestone and clay dominate the slopes of Naoussa, where vineyards tilt southeast off Mount Vermio, while Amyndeon sits on sandy soils so poor and loose that phylloxera never took hold and many vines still grow on their own roots. Goumenissa adds clay-limestone foothills and the Slopes of Meliton schist by the sea, with volcanic pockets rounding out one of Greece's most varied vineyard geologies.

Typical Aromas

Tomato leafSour cherryRose petalDried herbsSweet tobaccoForest floor
Explore the aroma wheel

More in Greece

Aegean Islands

Aegean Islands

Crete

Crete

Epirus

Epirus

Ionian Islands

Ionian Islands

Peloponnese

Peloponnese

Sterea Ellada

Sterea Ellada

Thessaly

Thessaly

Thrace

Thrace

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Macedonia the most important wine region in northern Greece?▼
Macedonia is Xinomavro country. The continental climate, sheltered by the Pindus mountains, gives this late-ripening red grape the slow growing season it needs to develop structure and savour. Four PDOs anchor the region (Naoussa, Amyndeon, Goumenissa, Slopes of Meliton), with Naoussa on Mount Vermio as the benchmark site. The modern Greek wine renaissance started here in the 1980s with estates like Boutari, Kir-Yianni and Domaine Porto Carras.
How does Xinomavro compare to Nebbiolo?▼
The comparison is overused but earned. Both grapes share high acidity, firm tannins, a pale rim that belies the structure, and a savoury character built around sour cherry, tomato leaf and dried rose. Top Naoussa Xinomavro can age 15 to 25 years and shows tertiary notes (leather, forest floor, dried fig) that read close to mature Barolo.
Which Macedonian PDOs should I try first?▼
Start with Naoussa for a benchmark Xinomavro red. Move to Amyndeon for lighter Xinomavro rosés and traditional-method sparklings from the high Petron-Vegoritida plateau. Goumenissa blends Xinomavro with the softer Negoska. Slopes of Meliton, on the Sithonia peninsula, is home to Domaine Porto Carras and one of Greece's most ambitious single-estate projects.
What about white wines from Macedonia?▼
Macedonia's modern white-wine story is largely Vangelis Gerovassiliou's rescue of Malagousia from near-extinction in the 1980s. His estate in Epanomi, south of Thessaloniki, remains the benchmark for the variety, producing aromatic, food-friendly whites with stone fruit, basil and jasmine notes. Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay also have a strong presence at PGI level.
Which producers define modern Macedonia?▼
Boutari and Kir-Yianni built the export market; Thymiopoulos, Karydas, Dalamara and Diamantakos lead the new generation of single-site Naoussa winemakers; Gerovassiliou anchors the white-wine story in Epanomi; and Domaine Costa Lazaridi has put PGI Drama on serious wine lists. The current breadth and depth would have been unimaginable thirty years ago.
Is Mount Athos wine worth seeking out?▼
Mount Athos (Άγιον Όρος) is an autonomous monastic state on a small peninsula in Halkidiki, and the wines bottled there carry the PGI Mount Athos designation. Tsantali works the most visible site (the Metochi Chromitsa estate); the wines lean toward old-world Cabernet and Merlot blends grown on limestone slopes overlooking the Aegean. A small, distinctive corner of Greek wine.

Map data: Wines of Greece (ΕΔΟΑΟ, PDO/PGI register) · EU eAmbrosia · Administrative boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Community boundaries © Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT)