Albania

The Republic of Albania (alb. Shqipëria) on the Balkan Peninsula in south-east Europe with the capital Tirana covers 28,748 km². It borders Montenegro and Kosovo to the north, North Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south. The western border is formed by the coasts of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.

History

The region is considered one of the cradles of European viticulture. This goes back to the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Cultivated viticulture already existed in Illyria in the 8th century BC. Roman authors mention the introduction of a high-yielding Illyrian grape variety to Italy. In the middle of the 2nd century BC, the empire was conquered by the Romans. From the beginning of the 16th century until independence was gained in 1912, it was under Turkish rule. During this time, viticulture was insignificant due to the ban on alcohol.

Viticulture in modern times

After the Second World War (1939-1945), a new beginning was made with grafted vines planted for the first time. Around half of the area is mountainous with an altitude of over 600 metres. Inland, there are some terraced vineyards up to 1,300 metres above sea level, making them among the highest in the world. The most important wine-growing areas are Shkodra with the municipality of Kallmet (north-west), the hills around the capital Tirana with the municipality of Lundër (centre), Berat and Përmet (south), Durrës (central east), Korça (south-east) and Lushnja (south-west).

In 2022, the vineyards covered 11,322 hectares and the wine production volume was 228,000 hectolitres. There are many indigenous grape varieties. Important white wine varieties are Aligoté, Debina Kala, Debine e Bardhë, Kryqëz, Mavrud, Pulës, Shesh i Bardhë and Tajka e Bardhë, important red wine varieties are Barbera, Debine e Zezë, Gomaresh, Kallmet, Serina e Zeze, Shesh i Zi and Vlosh. A large quantity of sultanas and table grapes are produced. Around half of the wine is used for the distillation of raki (schnapps), with the pomace brandy "Raki Rrushi" being particularly popular.

Map: © Goruma,
Flag: by Sadik Kaceli, Public domain, Link
Coat of arms: Albania, Kj1595, Public domain, Link
Consultancy: by Raki_Man, CC BY 3.0, Link
Source 1st paragraph: WIKIPEDIA Albania