The red variety Mandilaria that gives the “PDO Paros” wines shows astringency which comes from the high content of tannins in the grapes. The usual solution to the problem is to combine it with Monemvasia variety, a solution that reduces the astringency but at the same time degrades the overall quality of the wines. The aim of the project is to solve the problem of astringency and to produce a new generation of “PDO Paros” red wines by upgrading the vineyard of the Agricultural Cooperative of Paros and by adopting innovative cultivation techniques to reducing the tannin content of Mandilaria grapes and winemaking protocols so as to manage their extraction into wine.

The project will also serve as a model for other native wine-growing varieties that show high astringency and, through its dissemination, will contribute to the production of improved and more competitive wines.