Exploring the essence of Mediterranean wines

“Is there a Mediterranean typicity? Is there really a link between Lebanon and Mediterranean France? Or Morocco with Croatia?" These were the questions asked by Javier Suqué, president of the Perelada Group, in the foreword to the workbook  introducing the I Mediterranean Wines Symposium. Held last week at the family's vast estate in Peralada (Girona), next to the iconic castle and the state-of-the-art winery inaugurated in 2022, the event brought together around 20 wineries from Mediterranean countries and 200 attendees from around the world.

With a packed programme of tastings and presentations, the symposium raised almost more questions than it answered but highlighted the desire of Mediterranean wine regions to make their voices heard. This comes at a time when fluid, zesty, vertical, high acidity wines, often described as 'Atlantic', are thriving.

Throughout the various workshops, the Mediterranean emerged as a diverse, complex and ever-evolving reality; a bridge between peoples and civilisations living along its shores; a historic trade route that played a key role in the spread of vine and wine culture; and a source of literary and poetic inspiration deeply rooted in its communities.

According to Italian Master of Wine Gabriele Gorelli, who conducted one of the tastings, "being Mediterranean is not something that can be objectified or classified, it is more like a state of mind." Victoria Ordóñez, a producer from Málaga who presented the map above, noted that the Mediterranean has not only connected Africa, Asia and Europe, but  also epitomises moderate consumption. At the opening ceremony, held in the castle's Carmen church, Borja Suqué, the youngest member of the Perelada group, quoted Predrag Matvejević's Mediterranean Breviary to poetically evoke the wind's ability to spread seeds, encouraging attendees to make the most of the day, much like Odysseus in The Odyssey.

Wine growing potential at risk

Like Homer's heroic quest, the road was far from smooth. A presentation on climate change by Maria Snoussi, a professor at the Faculty of Science at Mohamed V University in Morocco, and Nathalie Ollat, a French researcher at the INIA (National Institute for Agricultural Research), painted a troubled picture: the Mediterranean is one of the most vulnerable areas on the planet.

According to Snoussi, the region is warming at twice the rate of the global ocean average, and by 2100, rising water levels will salinate coastal farmland. In addition, wildfires and extreme weather events such as hailstorms are expected to become more frequent, alongside prolonged droughts. The most affected areas will be the southern and eastern Mediterranean, as well as the southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

Ollat added that water scarcity negatively impacts yields, while reduced humidity affects soil microbiology. Drought will be the main concern, posing a high risk of losing a significant portion of the Mediterranean's wine growing potential.

However, the French researcher urged a proactive approach, describing the crisis as "an opportunity to review and adapt strategies." She advocated for a multidisciplinary, systematic response that considers viticultural and oenological practices, plant material,  vineyard location based on soil diversity, exposure and elevation, as well as regulatory changes to redefine appellation boundaries. "It is important that legislators are involved," she emphasised, while also highlighting the importance of consumer perspectives. "Their views on quality, health and the environment must be taken into account."

Despite these challenges, there were inspiring examples of resilience of vineyards to continue producing wines of outstanding character. Santorini, represented by the Artemis Karamolegos and Mikra Thira wineries, has suffered a dramatic drop in production due to the drought, with grape prices surging from six to eight €/kg and a significant increase in the price of its famous Assyrtiko whites.

Refreshing warmth

Other shared challenges emerged, including the lack of generational renewal in vine growing, and ongoing debates about the true identity of Mediterranean wines. Josep 'Pitu' Roca, sommelier and co-owner of the three-Michelin-starred Celler de Can Roca restaurant in Girona, addressed this issue advocating for gently ripe, rather than unripe grapes. "Where are the limits of ripeness and unripeness in the Mediterranean?" he asked. "Not everything goes. We shouldn’t reject the wines of sun and light. They are part of our nature, our history."

On a practical level, many wines sampled in the showroom and tastings helped dispel stereotypes about the Mediterranean’s supposed dominant role of alcohol, structure and ripeness. Gabriele Gorelli MW (pictured below) grouped a selection of Italian Mediterranean wines under the idea of 'refreshing warmth' showcasing a balance of different styles, including Cantine Florio's Marsala Vergine Riserva 2006, a deep, elegant fortified wine at 18% abv. made from Grillo grapes grown by the sea.

Greek Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis took a similar approach with a selection of wines from his country and Cyprus from 50 Great Greek Wines, the platform he created a few years ago to promote the excellence of Greek wines internationally. His selection explored new styles, the evolution of the classics, the potential of late ripening varieties and the sites capable of offering freshness.

While whites dominated most of the tastings, in line with current trends, red wines also had their moment, particularly in redefining the idea of rusticity, a characteristic shared by many Mediterranean varieties, generally with pejorative connotations. According to Juancho Asenjo, head of the Symposium's Technical Committee, rusticity is the earthy quality intrinsic to many Mediterranean red varieties. Other speakers, such as Victoria Ordóñez and Gabrielle Gorelli MW, noted that many red varieties that were once considered second-rate are now producing wines with character and even elegance.

Historic heritage

The symposium also celebrated the Mediterranean’s historic role in the spread of grapevines and in shaping global wine culture. 

Gaston Hochar, general manager of Château Musar (Lebanon), traced the Mediterranean’s winemaking links between ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean, dating back to 6000 BC, when agriculture drove communities to settle down, domesticate vines and produce their first wines. At that time, an amphora was found in Mesopotamia with traces of tartaric acid and resin to protect the wine. What fascinates Hochar is the discovery, 3,000 years later, of similar remains in a tomb at Abydos, 500 km south of Cairo (Egypt), but in Phoenician amphorae (from what is now Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon), proving the wine trade between the Phoenicians and the Egyptians before the latter began to plant their own vineyards and make their own wines. In fact, Byblos (modern Lebanon) was an important Mediterranean trading port for several centuries. Numerous documentary sources attest to the knowledge of wines of different origins produced in the Mediterranean and the trade established through its various ports.

Malvasía is a more recent example and the subject chosen by Juancho Asenjo for a tasting packed with historical references. The aim was to show that the term used to describe a style of wine ("the Mediterranean is not a single varietal style, it is a blend," Asenjo pointed out) that was traded and popularised by the Venetians. Initially associated with the famous wines of Crete, the name was mentioned for the first time in the 13th century and subsequently gained a reputation. This sweet wine, made from raisined grapes, was not originally made from Malvasia but from a combination of varieties. To complicate matters further, Malvasia ended up giving its name to different varieties (there are three families identified by different crosses), including those that are not genetically related to the original variety. Malvasia's journey across the Mediterranean and the Straits of Gibraltar to Portugal, Madeira and the Canary Islands is a good example of the complex historical, human, commercial and agricultural interactions that have taken place in the Mediterranean over the centuries.

Hochar also cited a 2023 study led by Yang Dong and published in March 2023 in the journal Science. After analysing a large amount of genetic material from Vitis vinifera and wild grape species, two main centres of vine domestication were identified around 11,000 years ago: the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), which until then had played a dominant role, and the Near East (Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan). What is most interesting, however, is that while the Caucasian varieties remained close to their area of origin, Near Eastern ones spread both towards Asia and the West. As they travelled around the world, they continued to cross spontaneously with local wild grape species and with other vinifera to produce many of today’s vitis vinifera varieties.

Trends

What features will define Mediterranean wines in the future? Several trends emerged at the symposium.

White and orange. Interest in reds continues to decline. Whites, both dry and sweet, dominated most of the flights. According to Yiannis Karakasis MW (pictured below), 55% of current wine production in Greece is white, with high-alcohol reds falling out of favour. Skin contact whites and rosés are gaining traction; we also tasted a very interesting Muscat rosé.

Grape varieties. Perhaps because they are at the very heart of vine propagation Mediterranean regions boast a wealth of local grapes well-suited to climate change.  According to most of the speakers, the most suitable are long-cycle, late-ripening, drought-tolerant varieties with low pH -such as Vilana, Moschofilero, Limniona and Xinomavro in Greece, or Carricante, Greco and Rossese in Italy.

This was also the vision of the host winery, Perelada, showcased in a tasting led by its technical director Delfí Sanahuja (in the photo below). He said that the winery is increasingly committed to Monastrell, Garnacha, Cariñena and to Syrah in coastal vineyards, and presented two new wines. While Vinyes Velles Garrigal 2023 (4,500 bottles, €20-30) is a floral, medium-bodied Cariñena with good acidity, aged in300-litre barrels and foudres, Efímer 2022 (6,000 bottles, around €50) is a single-varietal Monastrell. Sourced from Finca Espolla, a vineyard with slate soils of volcanic origin, the wine displays forest aromas, black olive and earthy notes without losing tension on the palate. According to Sanahuja, the presence of Monastrell in the Empordà predates the arrival of Garnacha and Cariñena, marking it as one of the region’s most resilient and well-adapted varieties as well as the last to be harvested. The launch of Efímer is planned for this month, while Garrigal will be released in September.

Elevation. Victoria Ordóñez championed the role of the mountains in the Mediterranean. Her Voladeros Ghiara, from a site at 1,000m in the Montes de Málaga region, explores the limits of Pedro Ximénez ageing, extending it to 48 months in oak. It paired well with the Carricante Contrada Taccino that Planeta makes on the northern slopes of Mount Etna: a crisp, vertical white with moderate alcohol (12.5% abv) and scintillating acidity.

What is the acidity of the Mediterranean? The symposium also served to reinforce the tools available to Mediterranean winemakers. One key aspect was the exploration of soils with distinct character, as they often impart sapid and saline nuances that not only refresh the palate but also stimulate salivation, encouraging further drinking. A quintessential example is the Assyrtiko whites from Santorini, which balance freshness, volume and weight on the palate.

Less quantity, more character. The Mediterranean wine world is shrinking. Drought poses a significant threat to production, making quantity an increasingly elusive goal. In response, the most viable path forward is to focus on quality, distinctive terroirs and varieties, and balance. This philosophy should also guide the redefinition of Mediterranean red wines, ensuring that their essence is preserved while adapting to evolving climatic and consumer demands.

The conversation will continue next year in Tuscany, where  Petra winery will host the second edition of the symposium.

Photos courtesy of the symposium organisers. Map of the Mediterranean by Victoria Ordóñez.