Larissa

Rapsani, in the perfecture of Larissa, is the most important appellation of Thessaly, located on the lower parts of Mt Olympus. Covering only 370 acres, the vineyards of Rapsani form the smallest Greek area where the Xinomavro variety is cultivated. They are comprised of semi-mountainous and mountainous terroirs on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus, at altitudes ranging between 150 and 750 m. In the vineyards of Rapsani, Xinomavro is jointly cultivated with two other local varietals, Krassato and Stavroto. The vineyards of Rapsani in the mountainous parts of the area, where the vines are densely planted (4,000 vine stocks per acre) and pruned into goblets, produce higher quality grapes and, consequently, better wines. The greater area also boasts success with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay, thanks to the beneficial effect of the relatively high altitude and mountain winds that, especially at night, ensure cool climatic conditions, suitable for the ripening of early-harvested varieties.climate conditions are invigoratingly cool and perfectly suitable for the ripening of early-harvested varieties. The village of Krania on the eastern slopes of Mt. Olympus was initially incorporated into the Rapsani PDO, but has been exempted since 2001 in order to produce white and red PGI wines from international varieties.
Tyrnavos is another important winemaking region, though known rather for the production of tsipouro than for wine. The main varieties here are Hamburg Muscat and Roditis. Hamburg Muscat produces simple and aromatic wine while Roditis, which is frequently called Roditis Damasi, gives good-quality wines with high acidity and high extract. Τhe local red variety, Limniona is very interesting and has produced impressive results after several years of research and experimentation.