Objectives

DIONYSOS Project aims to revitalize local wine varieties and wine tradition as a means to preserving biodiversity and as a lever for the development of the area. In this context, DIONYSOS aims at raising and utilizing local wine varieties and local wines as a special natural and cultural asset for the project area and as a means to distinguishing and differentiating it. In the same sense, the project seeks to enrich and promote local wine production with local wine varieties, while enhancing the local productive identity by applying integrated approaches to the promotion of the region as a wine tourism destination.

To this end, bodies with different background and supplementary specialization, as e.g. research institutes with focus on wine, agencies dealing with tourism development, agencies representing local businesses and the local authorities as the main actors in development planning, join this cooperation pursuing the synthesis of their experience and actively contributing to the development of the region's attractiveness, besides enhancing the role of the relevant wine-growers and wine making enterprises.

Background

The cross-border area of project DIONYSOS is considered Europe's oldest wine-growing area. Findings in Philippi, Greece, provide evidence on the cultivation of vine since 4000 BC. The wider area, on both the Greek and the Bulgarian side, has been historically directly linked to the worship of God Dionysus. Some local varieties, such as Mavroudi, Tamianka, Pamidi, are thought to have already been developed on the hills of this cross-border area more than 5.000 years ago.

Yet, with the exception of a few growers, the production model followed in the wine sector in the region is mainly linked to the cultivation of internationally known commercial varieties widely used around the world. Varieties such as Cabernet and Merlot were planted to a large extent, while local varieties were neglected.

In an attempt to differentiate and highlight the region, while being aware of the area's comparative advantages along with those of the local product, the project focuses on enriching the local viticulture and wine production with local vine varieties and enhancing the product and the local economy upon development of wine tourism.

To this end, the project contributes to raising the local wine tourism identity of the area through an appropriate planning and the implementation of a series of actions and the activation of the local organizations along with the interconnection of the local wine to the local history, culture and tradition of the area.

Budget & Funding

• Budget: 735,778.70 €
• ERDF Contribution: 625,411.90 €
• National Contribution: 110,366.81 €

Duration

• Start date: November 01, 2017
• End date: October 31, 2020

See details in official INTERREG website.

Activities and Deliverables

Main Expected Results

• Ennrichment of the local wine production by raising the local wine varieties.
• Reinforcements of the local production identity.
• Application of integrated approaches to promote the area as a wine tourism destination.