What makes Cephalonia a region to look out for is the equation for wine greatness: Interesting soils which are mostly free-draining limestone, high altitude terroirs rising up to 850m, own rooted vineyards to a great percentage (70% are estimated ungrafted) and a single variety with character and class, Robola. Last but not least, quality oriented producers.
Robola is the undisputed star variety covering 120 hectares of the total 160 of the island according to the cooperative’s director Constantinos Bazigos with the Ministry of Agriculture giving inflated numbers. Although it sounds like Friuli’s Ribolla Gialla, DNA profiling has failed to prove it so. It is a vigorous variety, prone to rot and powdery mildew. This is exactly why it is planted inland in the Valley of Robola (pictured below) in order to avoid the humid climate of the coast. Alexandros Doukas, winemaker of Gentillini winery (dubbing also in Santorini) says, ‘’it is easy to make characterful wines from Assyrtiko but with Robola this is very challenging because the variety can oxidise in a flash’’.