page_title: Albanian wine
section_title: Wine regions
hierarchical_section_title: Albanian wine / Wine regions
caption_attribution_description: Picking grapes in Berat, Albania
context_page_description: The Albanian wine is produced in several regions throughout Albania within the Mediterranean Basin. The country has one of the oldest wine making traditions, dating back to the ice and Bronze Age whereas Ancient Illyrians and Greeks inhabited the country's territory some 3,000 years ago. It belongs chronologically to the old world of wine producing countries.
  Albania is a mountainous Mediterranean country and extend within the Mediterranean Basin with the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The country experiences a distinctly Mediterranean climate, which means that the winters are mild and summers usually hot and dry. The favourable climate and fertile soil of the mountainous areas of the country are well suited to viticulture.
  Albania produced an estimated 17,500 tonnes of wine in 2009. During communism, the production area expanded to some 20,000 hectares.
context_section_description: Albania can be separated into four wine regions, which are mainly defined by their altitude. The regions includes the Coastal plains, Central hilly region, Eastern mountainous region and Mountain region. 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.
  The coastal plains (Western lowlands) rise to 300 m/990 ft and encompass the towns of Tiranë, Kavajë, Durrës, Shkodër, Lezhë, Lushnje, Fier, Vlorë, Pukë and Delvinë.
  The central hilly region varies between 300 and 600 m/1,980 ft altitude and includes Elbasan, Krujë, Gramsh, Berat, Përmet, Librazhd and Mirditë.
  The Eastern sub-mountainous region lies between 600 and 800 m and surrounds the towns of Pogradec, Korçë, Leskovik and Peshkopi.
  Mountains (Highlands) vines are also grown as high as 1,000 m/3,300 ft. Soils are generally clay silica of varied depths and exposures.
caption: Picking grapes in Berat
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