The unique microclimate of Avdira is ideal for viticulture, as summers see minimal rainfall and low nighttime temperatures. This results in the produced wines having a light intense aromatic character with sufficient acidity for both white and rosé varieties, and a rich character for reds, suitable for long-term aging. The selection of areas where various varieties are cultivated was made after scientific study, in collaboration with recognized agronomists and oenologists, based on the particular characteristics of each variety to achieve the best possible adaptation to the microclimate of the wider Avdira region. Cultivation extends to vineyards located on hills with altitudes ranging from 100 to 250 meters above sea level, either far, or near the Thracian Sea, but always around the settlement of Avdira. They are divided into two main categories regarding soil composition. The first consists of higher-altitude vineyards with clayey soils suitable for intensive cultivation, while the second includes those with clayey soils with gravel and surface stone.
The majority of the red varieties is cultivated to the south, near the Thracian Sea, and similarly, the majority of the white varieties is cultivated to the north. The native varieties grown include the red ancestral Lemnio and the local varieties, the red Pamidi, the local Mavroudi of Thrace, and the white Zoumiatis. From international varieties, we cultivate the cosmopolitan whites Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the popular reds Syrah, Merlot, and the rare French Cinsaut.
Vinification
The process of vinification is crucial at Vourvoukelis Estate. It must be meticulous to showcase the potential of our vineyard in the final product. The process begins with careful harvesting and the immediate transfer of grapes to the winery, in plastic crates weighing 20 kilograms each. Proper transportation is of great importance to ensure that the raw material arrives intact, avoiding oxidation phenomena.
White Wine Vinification
Regarding white grapes, the first step involves separating the stems from the berries, which are then directed to our press. From the press, with the appropriate compression program, we obtain the must. The best quality juice is the free-run juice, containing fewer tannins, which are crucial for the quality of a white wine.
Next, the freshly pressed juice undergoes settling at low temperatures (~10°C), and the clear, transparent juice is then transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. These fermentation tanks all have double walls to control the fermentation temperature at around 18-19°C. Fermentation at controlled temperatures helps to produce a wine that retains all the varietal aromas of the grapes and retains aromatic compounds produced during alcoholic fermentation (such as aromatic esters).
After fermentation, which lasts about a month, the fresh wines are ready for bottling after approximately three months. These wines are usually at their best for consumption within the next two to three years. For another category of white wines, there is a differentiation. In these cases, fermentation will not stop in the stainless steel tanks where it began, but the must will be transferred, approximately halfway through fermentation, to barrels. There, the must will ferment, and the wine will remain for a maturation period of several months until it is bottled.
Red Wine Vinification
For the red wines of the Estate, the vinification process is as follows: after careful harvesting and transportation to the winery, the grapes undergo destemming and crushing. The resulting pulp, comprising the juice and skins, is then transferred to red fermentation tanks, where fermentation begins at a controlled temperature of 25-30°C. Concurrently with alcoholic fermentation, we have the crucial process of extracting color (anthocyanins) and tannins that will determine the wine’s final sensory profile. In this extraction process, the maceration of the grape skins plays a fundamental role, involving contact with the entire mass of the must. The skins, due to the production of CO2 (carbon dioxide), rise to the surface of the tank. The duration of maceration is significant, as it also determines the final color of the wines. For a rosé wine, it usually lasts a few hours, for fresh red wines two to four days, while for aging wines, maceration can last twice or three times as long.
At a specific moment chosen according to the wine and the vintage, the clear juice is separated, which will complete its fermentation in another tank or in barrels, while the remainder (juice and skins) is transferred to the press for the extraction, with light pressure, of the remaining juice. After completing alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation usually follows, which helps reduce acidity and refine the final flavor of a red wine. Depending on the type and variety, red wines undergo a maturation period in oak barrels ranging from four to 24 months. For some wines, after bottling, the aging process begins in the bottle, which can last from three years to more than a decade.