Delineation and Evaluation of Subzones in Two Wine-Growing Regions in Northern Greece

This study focuses on identifying wine-growing subzones within the PDO Amyndeon and PGI Drama wine-growing zones in Northern Greece, with the aim of assessing their suitability for producing high-quality red wines from the Xinomavro (Vitis vinifera L.) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) grape varieties, respectively. The initial delineation of suitability zones was carried out using readily available satellite data on soil, topography, and climate, in four different suitability categories. To validate how effectively these categories distinguished actual wine-growing regions, we compared them against two years of field data collected from experimental vineyards. The results showed that this methodology was able to discern the most suitable areas for both varieties and regions with an acceptable relation to real grape and wine attributes as confirmed by the collection of data from the pilot vineyards. The overall performance of this method will ultimately depend on the validity of the expert knowledge used to define the most critical parameters and their range. According to the results of this study, and given the relevance of the proposed suitability criteria, this method has the potential to provide an alternative solution for subzone delineation in cases where wine analytical and sensory data are not available.