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Albanian wine (Albanian:Vera Shqiptare) is produced in several regions throughoutAlbania within theMediterranean Basin. The country has one of the oldestwine making traditions, dating back at least 3000 years ago to theBronze AgeIllyrians, with wine/grapes tradition in the Albanian language preserved since the earliestProto-Indo-European period (Proto-Indo-Anatolian). The Albanian wine belongs chronologically to theold world of wine producing countries.
Albania is a mountainousMediterranean country with theMediterranean Sea to the west. The country experiences a distinctlyMediterranean climate, which means that the winters are mild and summers usually hot and dry.[1] The favourableclimate and fertilesoil of the mountainous areas of the country are well suited toviticulture.
Albania produced an estimated 17,500 tonnes ofwine in 2009.[2] In the last decade, production of wine grew exponentially, reaching in 2019 23,470 tons.[3]
The territory that is now Albania was one of few places where grapes were extant during theIce Age. The oldest seeds discovered in the region are between 4,000 and 6,000 years old.[4] The word for 'wine' (Gheg Albanian:venë;Tosk Albanian:verë) is among the oldest ones inAlbanian, tracing back to the earliestProto-Indo-European (Proto-Indo-Anatolian) exploitation of grapes, with ascertained cognates for 'wine' also found inHittite,Luwian,Greek andLatin.[5]
Along with neighbouringGreece, Albania has the longest continuous history ofviticulture in Europe.[6][7][8] WithinIllyria it existed hundreds of years before the expansion of theRoman Empire in theBalkan Peninsula.[9][10]
During theRoman period, wine production increased and became more organised. Decorations on numerous religious and household items bear witness to the wine-making culture such as inButrint.[11] Although later in the 15th century, theOttoman Turks arrived inSoutheastern Europe. During that period the vineyards experienced a decline and were mostly found inChristian-majority regions.
After theAlbanian Declaration of Independence, viticulture gained widespread popularity but was almost destroyed in 1933 byphylloxera. A significant upturn began only after theSecond World War, at the end of which wine was still cultivated on only 2,737 hectares. The most important producing region was aroundDurrës, where grapes were grown by communist state enterprises. In that time the nationwide acreage corresponded approximately to that oftobacco, but was significantly lower than that ofolive and fruit trees. The exported wine was consumed primarily inGermany. The export decreased continuously from 61,000 hectolitres in 1971 to 22,000 hectolitres in 1985. The reasons are to be found mainly in outdated production conditions and insufficient technical material that made it difficult to transport and lowered the quality. On the other hand, the export of easily transportable raisins was continuously in increase (up to 3500 tons per year), while the export of fresh grapes was marginal. The most common varieties wereMerlot,Cabernet Sauvignon,Pinot Noir,Sangiovese andRiesling.
Vineyards and wine production has been steadily increasing in recent years following the institution of democracy andcapitalism.
| 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2007 | 2009 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard area (ha) | 2,430 | 8,545 | 11,020 | 16,719 | 17,621 | 9,103 | 9,806 | 10,178 |
| Production (tonnes) | 21,400 | 22,300 | 64,500 | 66,200 | 91,000 | 146,500[a] | 162,800 | 204,000 |
Albania can be separated into four wine regions, which are mainly defined by their altitude.[12][13] The regions includes the Coastal plains, Central hilly region, Eastern mountainous region and Mountain region. The highest vineyards sit at altitudes of approximately 1,000–1,300 metres (3,300–4,300 ft) in the slopes of theAlbanian Alps in the north andPindus Mountains in the southeast.[citation needed]
The main indigenous grape varieties found in Albania are: Shesh (black and white), Kallmet, Vlosh, Serinë, Pulës, Cërujë, Mereshnik, Debin (black and white), Kryqës, Mjaltëz, Mavrud, Manakuq, Kotekë, Vranac, Stambolleshë, Babasan, Tajgë (red and white)
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Wineries (kantina inAlbanian) in Albania include: Medaur,[15] Kallmeti,[16] Rilindja, Skënderbeu, Çobo,[17] Luani,[18] Bardha, Arbëri, Sara, Alimani, Uka, Lundra, Faba, Vintage, Mani, Sallaku, Constantino Spanchis, Kardinal, Zika, Belba, Nurellari, Balaj, Koto, Vila Duka (great for shared dining), Vila Shehi, Vila Hadaj, Belba, Enol, Korca 2000, and Kokomani.
According to Nasse and Zigori (1968) the best native Albanian wine varieties are Debinë (noir and blanc), Kallmet, Mereshnik, Mjaltëz, Serinë (rouge and blanc),Shesh i Bardhë, and Vlosh.[19] The best wine-producing regions areBerat,Korçë,Tirana,Durrës and the region betweenLezhë andShkodër.[20]
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