Innovative Interventions for Improving the Quality of Paros PDO Red Wines

Creating New Perspectives for the Viticultural Sector of Paros

The Challenge: The High Astringency of Mandilaria

The Mandilaria variety, which forms the basis for the production of Paros PDO Red Wine, is characterized by high tannin content, which imparts pronounced astringency to the resulting wines. The conventional solution of co-fermentation with the white Monemvasia variety, while reducing astringency, often compromises the overall quality and identity of the wine. The project “Innovative Interventions for Improving the Quality of Paros PDO Red Wines” undertook to address this challenge, aiming to produce a new generation of higher quality Paros PDO wines.

The Goal: Improvement from the Vineyard to the Bottle

The primary objective was to create innovative cultivation and winemaking protocols in order to:

1. Reduce the tannin content of Mandilaria grapes through viticultural interventions.
2. Achieve appropriate tannin extraction during the winemaking process, to produce more balanced and high-quality monovarietal wines.

The Method: A Holistic Approach

The project was structured around three types of interventions:

1. Viticultural Interventions. In the vineyard of the Agricultural Cooperative of Paros, innovative practices were implemented and evaluated, such as:
   – Changing the pruning method (from “aplotaria” to gobelet)
   – Leaf removal of varying intensity and timing to improve the microclimate, and
   – Over-ripening techniques (on-vine, sun-drying, in chambers with air flow).
2. Laboratory Evaluation: Chemical analyses were performed on grapes and experimental wines from micro-vinifications, focusing on the quantitative determination of tannins and organoleptic assessment.
3. Industrial Scale Vinification: The optimal protocols resulting from the research were adopted by the Agricultural Cooperative of Paros for industrial-scale production.

Promising Results – Prospects

The results of the project were highly encouraging:

• Mandilaria adapted excellently to the innovative viticultural interventions, with improvements in both the quantity and quality of the grapes.
• Over-ripening in chambers with air flow emerged as the most effective method for improving the organoleptic profile and reducing astringency.
• In winemaking, the partial removal of grape stems, combined with other techniques, yielded excellent results in reducing astringency without sacrificing the wine’s complexity.

Conclusion

This pioneering project opens new horizons for Paros PDO Wine. It lays the foundation for the creation of high-quality Mandilaria wines that can be competitive even at an international level, while simultaneously enhancing the sustainability of the agricultural sector of Paros and preserving its unique indigenous viticultural heritage. For an island like Paros, which welcomes thousands of visitors each year and thus addresses a large market, this capability creates new prospects for the local economy.

Implementing Bodies & Project Funding

The project was implemented by a collaborative scheme of business and academic partners:

• The Laboratory of Viticulture, Department of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• The Laboratory of Oenology and Alcoholic Beverages, Agricultural University of Athens
• The Agricultural Cooperative of Paros
• The Company for International Education and Development – TRANSCOOP.

Intermediate Managing Body in the Region of the S. Aegean: EYD (Managing Authority) of the Region of Southern Aegean

Responsible Authority: Special Service for the Management of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020

*Funding was provided by the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (Measure 16 “Cooperation”, Sub-measure 16.1-2, Action II)