The best Wine Tastings and Tours in Kefalonia

Kefalonia has the most important wine production of all the Ionian islands in terms of marketing, exports and number of wineries, most of which are well known beyond the boundaries of the island. There are several indigenous varieties of interest but the most important are the white Robola and the red Mavrodaphne.

Robola gives PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) dry white wines on Kefalonia and grows on the rocky, limestone slopes of Mount Ainos. That is why the Venetians used to call it “Vino di Sasso” which means the wine of the rocks. It grows at altitudes ranging from 300 to 800m and gives wines with terroir-driven flinty minerality, medium body, balanced acidity and aging potential.

Mavrodaphne grows in a terroir of deeper sandy and clay soils, mainly on the Paliki peninsula. Even though Mavrodaphne has tremendous potential as a dry red wine with fruity character and solid body, the PDO Mavrodaphne of Kefalonia refers to sweet wine. Dry Mavrodaphne wines have a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). There is also a PDO designation for sweet wines made from Muscat grapes. Vostilidi, Tsaousi, Moschatella and Zakynthino are some of Kefalonia’s other local gems.