Aegean islands / Αιγαια νησια

According to legend, this volcanic island (also known as Lemnos or Limnio) in the eastern Aegean Sea was the home of the limping god Hephaistos (Vulcanus to the romans),the Greek god of fire and of blacksmiths. In his Iliad, the Greek poet Homer (8th century BC) states that this island was the source of the wines drunk by the Greek army during the siege of Troy, and also describes how Hephaistos made new weapons fort he hero Achilles in his smithy. At the end of the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed the vineyards which previously had been planted with indigenous varieties, the vineyards were replanted mainly with Moscato Aspro (Muscat Blanc) and Muscat d´Alexandrie. The vineyard area totals around 1.200 hectares. There are two appellations on the island. The dry or semi-sweet white wine Limnos (OPAP) is made from Moscato and Muscat d´Alexandrie. The sweet dessert wine Muscat of Limnos (OPE) is a straight varietal made from Muscat d´Alexandrie. There are several version of this wine (vin doux, vin de liqueur -both fortified) and Vin naturellement doux. A Vin Doux Grand Cru is produced from grapes picked in specific vineyards with old vines. A red table wine is made from the indigenous variety Limnio. Well-known producers include Limnos Organic Wines and Hatzigeorgiou.