Savatiano

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Savatiano, also known as Savvatiano, is a white Greek wine grape. It is one of Greece’s most widely planted varieties and is best known for its use in wine and in the resin-flavored wine called Retsina. The grape is drought-tolerant and is mainly grown in central Greece, especially in Attica near Athens.

In Retsina, Savatiano’s naturally low acidity is sometimes balanced by blending with other grapes such as Assyrtiko and Rhoditis. Besides Attica, Savatiano is also grown in Euboea and in Pomorie, Bulgaria (the site of the historic Greek colony Anchialos). In Attica, Assyrtiko is a common blending partner, while in Euboea and Pomorie Rhoditis is more frequently used. Kantza, a village near Paiania, produces a single-varietal Savatiano without the Aleppo pine resin used in Retsina.

The grape has many synonyms, including Savvathiano, Dombrena Aspri, Doumpraina Aspri, Tsoumprena, Perachoritis, Sakeiko, and Kountoura Aspri, among others. Savvatiano is referenced in wine literature such as The Oxford Companion to Wine and in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue.