Bénéficiant d'un climat idéal pour la culture du raisin et réputée comme l'une des plus importantes régions viticoles grecques, l'île de Rhodes a nourri une tradition de production de vin depuis l'Antiquité. Bien que Rhodes exporte des vins depuis le 7ème siècle avant JC, c'est la culture du raisin malvasien au Moyen Âge qui a vraiment mis l'île sur la carte, devenant rapidement l'un des principaux vins méditerranéens.
Aujourd'hui, Rhodes compte environ 7500 acres de vignobles et la plus grande maison de production de vin est Cair, située près de la ville de Rhodes. Beaucoup d'autres vignobles de premier plan se trouvent plus au sud, regroupés autour des villages traditionnels d'Emponas et de Siana - les vignobles à la gestion familiale d'Emery, Kounaki et Alexandris sont des choix populaires, proposant tous des dégustations de vin et des visites de vignobles. Les variétés régionales les plus célèbres comprennent un certain nombre de vins rouges secs élaborés à partir des raisins Mandilariá abondamment cultivés et des vins blancs secs et aromatiques, produits à partir de raisins Athiri, ainsi qu'un petit nombre de célèbres Muscats sucrés.
Today, Rhodes has around 7,500 acres of vineyards with two appellations (Rhodes and Muscat of Rhodes) producing a range of varietals, including native Aegean grapes like Athiri, Moschato Aspro, and Mandilaria. Many of the island’s wineries welcome visitors for tours and tastings, and guided excursions typically include stops at several traditional wineries in a single outing. It’s also possible to combine a winery tour and tasting with a visit to the island’s spectacular Butterfly Valley nature reserve or a hike to the ruined Monolithos Castle.
Wineries on Rhodes are scattered across the island. CAIR, the largest wine producer, is near the town of Rhodes, while many other prominent wineries are further south, near the villages of Embonas and Siana. The towns of Emery, Kounaki, and Alexandris are known for their smaller family-run wineries.
The best time to visit Rhodes wine country is during the fall harvest season, when wineries are at their most active and the village streets are filled with baskets of raisins soaking up the sun. Many wineries also host traditional dance performers during the summer high season.
Many wineries on Rhodes make a traditional drink, called souma, from their grapes. After the grapes are pressed, their pulp is fermented in large barrels with sea water, then boiled and distilled into a strong spirit, often with more than 40 percent alcohol by volume. Many Greek taverns serve souma as a complimentary digestif.
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