Maratheftiko grape

An important indigenous red, full of earthy notes and power, with genuine ageing potential.

Full, aromatic reds and some fine rosés; a good blending partner. Red cherry is the aroma most often noted. Young wines can be very tannic; it was long blended into Mavro to give it the colour and tannin Mavro lacks, while some producers now handle it gently for finer, more transparent wines.

Its flowers are female only, so it needs another variety flowering beside it to set fruit. Rediscovered relatively recently. Cultivation is still limited to a small share of the island's vine-growing area (125 hectares in 2004, under 1%). Locally it is also called Vamvakada, “cotton”, for the white down on the underside of its leaves.