What is the best element for good vine?
Vines need good soils.
What is the best element for a good wine?
The best wines have been created from passionate winemakers with soul.
Lemona village
Today we will be at Tsangarides winery in Lemona village. One of the smallest village in Cyprus. We will see unique and different soil only in two kilometers distance.
Vouni Panayia- Ambelitis
Tsangarides winery is a winery at Vouni Panayias- Ambelitis region, North East of Paphos.
Region affected from Stavros tis Psocas forest and Paphos forest, as well as Kannavaiou dam and Ezouza river.
The altitude of the vines is from 500-800m.
Lemona valley experiences long dry autumnal days, ideal for the ripening of the fruit, and cool nights help retain freshness, with warm days building the concentration that delivers aromatic and fresh tasting white wines.
Types of soils
Chalk Soil
Chalk soil can be either light or heavy but always highly alkaline due to the calcium carbonate or lime within its structure. We will see chalk soils at the beginning of our journey at Tsangarides winery.
On the top high vineyard, we have chalk soils with river stones. It is unusual one kilometre from the river, on the highest vineyards, we can see river stones. We have to know that Cyprus is an island which was made from a volcano. The volcano has been moved the soil layers, and now we have soils on the top of the vineyards which was part of a river bed.
What grape varieties are planted on chalk soil with river stones?
The new plated vineyard is with Morokanella. The winemaker is expecting to improve Morokanella and to add extra minerality. I will expect more complexity and ageing potential. And not the last I will wait to have moderate acidity.
A hundred meters down, we see vineyard with chalk soil. Here we do not have any more river stones. What grape variety is planted on chalk soil? The vines of Lefkada here are expecting to make more round wines with moderate tannins. We wait to see fruit pictures of the aromas much more intense.
Clay Loam
Loam soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay that are combined to avoid the negative effects of each type.
These soils are fertile, easy to work with and provide good drainage. Depending on their predominant composition they can be either sandy or clay loam.
As the soils are a perfect balance of soil particles, they are considered to be a gardener’s best friend, but still benefit from topping up with the additional organic matter.
These vines are the organic vines of Tsangarides winery. We have natural fertilizers and river passing by.
What grapes are growing on a clay loam soil?
Grapes which are growing on clay loam soils are Xynistery, Chardonnay, Mataro, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Maratheftiko. Most of the vines are more than 15 years old and they are certified Organic. Vineyards are at valley and all valley area is managed by Angelos Tsangarides.
Saline soils
It is dominated by calcium and magnesium, not sodium. The pH of saline soils is usually below 8.5. The soil is very beautiful like cover with silver silk fabric. Most of the vines planted on the soils are Xynistery.
You have to see the vineyard of Lemona village and you will be amazed of the varieties of soils and all herbs which are the best natural fertilizers.
