Rural Life in Kefalonia: The Coveted "Treasures"

Elegant white wines with juicy lemon flavors, refreshing acidity, and minerality. This is how winemakers and sommeliers from around the world describe the Robola variety, which is produced in Kefalonia. Robola is the most widespread variety and thrives in barren soils, which the Italians called “Vino di Sasso,” meaning “the wine of the stone.” In the mountainous slopes of Ainos, there are still many self-rooted vines of considerable age.

The island is of particular interest in terms of vineyard landscapes, as viticulture is one of the most important sectors of agricultural production, second only to olive cultivation.

Professors Nikos Beopoulos and Lena Apostolatou from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Development at the Agricultural University of Athens note: “The main cultivated variety in Kefalonia is Robola, an exceptional variety of the Greek vineyard, closely linked to the island’s history and culture. The first evidence of its cultivation dates back to 1520. The Robola viticultural zone produces wines that, since 1982, have been recognized as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products.”

According to Dr. Gerasimos Antzoulatos and the Ampeloiniko Center of Kefalonia – Ithaca, there are three recognized local wines: Slopes of Ainos (white – red), Metaxata (red), and Mantzavinata (red – rosé – white). A related study mentions that Kefalonia’s vineyards are considered “the richest genetically in Europe.” The overall picture of Kefalonia’s vineyard is as follows: Robola (25%), Vostilidi (8.3%), Tsaousi (8.3%), Mavrodafni (2.92%), Moschato (1.25%), Moschatela (1.67%), and Thiacó (1.25%).

The wine production is carried out in ten wineries on the island, with the most significant being the winery of the Agricultural Cooperative of Robola Producers, which covers 75-80% of Robola production.

As mentioned earlier, olive cultivation is the most important activity in the primary sector of Kefalonia’s economy. Olive oil production in Kefalonia amounts to 2500 tons annually. This is significant, considering that Greece is the third largest olive oil-producing country in the world, after Spain and Italy.

The varieties that thrive in Kefalonia are primarily the local olive, which is the oldest variety on the island. Following are the Asproelia, Korfoelia, Matolia, and Thiako.

According to the Management Body of the Ainos National Park, Kefalonian olive oil has been officially recognized and registered under the relevant European Union regulations as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. This certification highlights the geographical origin of the olive oil, to which its unique quality characteristics can be attributed, and is a significant advantage in promoting the product in demanding foreign markets.

In general, the agricultural sector has always played an important role in the economy of Kefalonia, covering 9.07% of the county’s GDP and 0.65% of the GDP of the Ionian Islands region, according to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The total cultivated area amounts to 330,331 hectares, of which 1.2% are annual crops, 2.74% vineyards, 16.19% other tree crops (mainly olives), and 69.15% meadows, pastures, family vegetable gardens, and fallow lands. There are 4,972 agricultural areas in the county that can be utilized. Irrigated crops are limited to the regions of Palliki, the southern part of Kefalonia, Vlachata, Mousata, Skala, Katelios, and Tzanata. These areas concentrate most of the agricultural activity, while the rest of the island's surface serves the needs of the livestock sector.

After wine and oil, one of the island’s main exports is raisins, often referred to as "black gold."

Dr. Spyridon A. Theotokatos notes: “The black raisin, a particularly significant agricultural crop for Kefalonia and especially the once renowned black gold of Palliki, is not only deeply rooted, tied to the climate, soil, and passion of our ancestors, but also a valuable agricultural product with high nutritional value and a highly exportable product. Its demand is continually increasing, as it has been scientifically established worldwide as a superfood with anti-cancer properties. It also helps protect the environment, as cultivating the vineyard prevents desertification, fires, and soil erosion.”

The product that seems to be recording record profits in recent years abroad comes from Kefalonia’s fish farms. Sea bream is one of the most sought-after Greek products in France. According to Enterprise Greece (the Hellenic Investment and Foreign Trade Company), there are opportunities for further increasing cooperation between Greece and France. The profit and growth potential is enormous for Kefalonia’s agricultural economy. According to the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization, approximately 60% of the thousands of tons of sea bream entering Italy each year comes from Greece.

Cheesemakers are also particularly renowned on the island of Kefalonia. With more than fifteen dairies on the island, many families of livestock farmers and agriculturalists in Kefalonia sustain themselves by producing feta. They produce white “barrel cheese” similar to feta, kefalotyri, and myzithra using traditional techniques based on sheep and goat milk. Typically, they cannot call it feta because Kefalonia does not have an official permit to use the name “feta PDO,” so it is mainly established in markets within Greece.

Historically, the island's relationship with cheesemaking is unbreakable. Professor George N. Moschopoulos points out that “according to the 1810 census, 682,615 liters of cheese were produced on the island, of which 9,102 liters were exported. Although the composition of quantities by type is not specified, the fact of recorded cheese production is extremely significant as it reveals the existence of the necessary expertise for the production and preservation of cheese on a large scale.” Notably, he emphasizes that Kefalonian cheesemakers were pioneers in feta production and that regions of Greece known today for feta production learned it historically from Kefalonia and previously produced... “teleme!”

Finally, the significant honey production in Kefalonia cannot go unmentioned, with Greece considered one of the top honey-producing countries in the European Union. Beekeeping on the island has been stable over time, exceeding 70 tons annually. Pollen and royal jelly are also produced.

The geomorphology of the area, combined with the climate, imparts special characteristics to the wild beekeeping flora. For example, in the Ainos National Park, with the only pure forest of Kefalonian Fir in Greece, an excellent reddish honeydew with strong antioxidant action is produced. According to the Chamber of Commerce of Kefalonia and Ithaca, the Kefalonian Beekeepers' Cooperative has been established, with its main goal being the protection of Kefalonian honey and the support of beekeepers. Its ultimate goal is to have Kefalonian honey recognized as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), making it recognizable in the European Union and thus enhancing the farmers' income.