Rhodos boasts a long wine history and an associated tradition that goes back thousand years. It is here that Cair and Emery flourished, mostly with sparkling wines, yet now boutique artisanal wineries seem to come strong bringing a fresh breeze of air.
Alexandris family winery was established in 1968 cultivating organically their 4 hectares that are based on Athiri. Athiri is a rather neutral white Greek variety that in Rhodos can be elevated to different standards. The main reason according to winemaker Panagiotis Alexandris educated in Montpellier is that phylloxera never arrived in the island so one can find many own rooted vines. There are some grafted vines as well says Alexandris but old vines totally transform the variety's potential. Diversity of soils and altitude that can reach 700 m play additionally a significant role; patches of schist tend to produce mineralic, structured wines.