Albanian wine

The country has one of the oldest wine making traditions, dating back at least 3000 years ago to the Bronze Age Illyrians.

The country experiences a distinctly Mediterranean climate, which means that the winters are mild and summers usually hot and dry.

In that time the nationwide acreage corresponded approximately to that of tobacco, but was significantly lower than that of olive and fruit trees.

The reasons are to be found mainly in outdated production conditions and insufficient technical material that made it difficult to transport and lowered the quality.

The highest vineyards sit at altitudes of approximately 1,000–1,300 metres (3,300–4,300 ft) in the slopes of the Albanian Alps in the north and Pindus Mountains in the southeast.

[citation needed] The main indigenous grape varieties found in Albania are: Shesh (black and white), Kallmet, Vlosh, Serinë, Pulës, Cërujë, Mereshnik, Debin (black and white), Kryqës, Mjaltëz, Mavrud, Manakuq, Kotekë, Vranac, Stambolleshë, Babasan, Tajgë (red and white) Wineries (kantina in Albanian) in Albania include: Medaur,[13] Kallmeti,[14] Rilindja, Skënderbeu, Çobo,[15] Luani,[16] Bardha, Arbëri, Sara, Alimani, Uka, Lundra, Faba, Vintage, Constantino Spanchis, Kardinal, Zika, Belba, Nurellari, Balaj, Koto, Vila Duka, Vila Shehi, Vila Hadaj, Belba, Enol, Korca 2000, and Kokomani.