Travel: Cephalonia
This verdant Greek island is home to beautiful beaches, historic sites and exciting wines made from native grapes. Yiannis Karakasis MW takes a tour of the highlights for wine lovers
Yiannis Karakasis MW visits this Greek paradise
AGEM SET IN the Ionian Sea, Cephalonia is rich in history and breathtaking in its natural beauty. When people think of Greek islands, they usually have in mind those of the Aegean Sea: windswept rocks surrounded by blue waters. Cephalonia is the exact opposite. The island is amazingly green, with sapphire-like waters, which have pine trees reflected in their tranquility. In many ways it’s the Greek version of a Caribbean island, filled with magical destinations that are yearning to be discovered, beautiful beaches and a reputation which extends far beyond Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
The sixth-largest Greek island, Cephalonia (or Kefalonia) has a strong personality and a unique cultural identity with marked Italian influence. The Venetians, and later the French, influenced the culture, architecture and overall atmosphere of the island profoundly. A visit to Fiscardo proves the point. This magnificent village is named after Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, who died on the island in 1085.
The 50km drive from the southern part of Cephalonia, near the capital of Argostoli, to the northern tip, where Fiscardo is located, takes about an hour on a winding road, which passes Myrtos, one of the most-photographed beaches of the island. Lixouri, located across from Argostoli, on the Paliki peninsula, is the second city of Cephalonia – though its inhabitants refuse to accept their inferior billing and constantly conjure pranks to play on their ‘rivals’ in Argostoli.
Robola and beyond
The total vineyard area on Cephalonia is about 330ha. Vineyards that rise to 850m are found mainly in the central and southern part of the island. Mt Aenos (or Ainos) affects the climate and geology of the region significantly, and thus influences the style of the wines. In areas with an abundance of limestone, wines tend to be more elegant and mineral; they were