Aegean islands / Αιγαια νησια

Island in the Dodecanes group in the Aegean Sea, it belongs to Greece, and is the largest island in the group, with a land area of 1.400 km², and is also known as the „pearl of the Mediterranean. The capital is also called Rhodos, it has three ports, the second-largest town is Lindos. The island is located between Europe, Asia and Africa, and was therefore an important trading centre even in ancient times. It is likely that the Phoenicians brought viticulture to the islands even before the Greeks did. According to Homer (8th century BC), Rhodos sent 9 ships to participate in the Trojan war. In 408 BC the three largest towns on Rhodos got together and decided to found a new city on the spot where the city of Rhodos is now. It was praised as one of the most beautiful cities of antiquity. The schools of philosophers, debaters and language researchers were famous, and the city was a centre for shipping, trade and culture, including wine culture. The island grew to be an important exporter of wine in the 7th century BC, supplying the ancient world at the time. The siege of Rhodos by Demetrios in 305 to 304 BC is one of the most famous in ancient history. The Greeks unsuccessfully besieged the city for a year. Afterwards, the Rhodians sold the siege machines left behind by Demetrios for the enormous sum of 300 talents, and used the proceeds to build the statue of the sun god Helios, also known as the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the world. Charis, a sculptor from Lindos, created the bronze figure of the Collossus over a period of 12 years, around 280 BC, the statue has a height of 31 metres. It is said to have stood over the entrance to what is now the port of Mandraki, with ships passing between the legs (nowadays it seems almost certain that the figure must in reality have stood on land somewhere. The statue remained in place for only 66 years, it was destroyed by a major earthquake in 226 BC. The island has remained free from phylloxera. The climate is mild (there are only two seasons, spring and summer), and the sun shines on 300 days each year, ensuring excellent conditions for viticulture. There is quite a lot of rain in winter, and the summer heat is alleviated by cool north winds. The vineyard area totals around 1.800 hectares. There are three appellations. The dry red OPAP wine Rodós Red is produced mainly in the south, it is a varietal wine made from Mandilaria (known here as Amorgiano), whereas the dry white OPAP wine Rodós White is produced mainly in the north, from Athiri grapes. The sweet OPE dessert wine Muscat of Rodós is a varietal wine made from Moscato Aspro (Muscat Blanc), there are several versions of this (vin doux, vin doux Grand Cru, vin de liqueur). Around 90% of the grapes produced are bought and vinified by the CAIR co-operative.