Mandilari

Not Mandilaria, as called in the rest of Greece, it is known as the “painter” [vafias] to locals. This variety provides a deep red colour to the wine, adding volume to the body, but requires special cultivation efforts for the fruit to acquire the necessary sugar, and, consequently, the desired alcohol levels. In most cases, wine is produced by combining Mandilary with Kotsifali, at a ratio of 20% to 80%. Experimentally, some single variety efforts have been made with very interesting results; the wines produced, however, require time for ageing in order to soften their typically aggressive tannins. The ageing time for a wine made with the Mandilari/Kotsifali combination is usually 5 years. In the case of a single variety wine, this period may need to be longer. A large, compact bunch with sizeable round grapes.