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It’s Greek to Me. . .

I’ve wanted to write about Greek wines for quite a while. After this year’s Grand European Wine tasting back in March, I thought it would be my next feature. Needless to say, it wasn’t. After a meal at a local Greek restaurant in April, I thought it would be a good piece for spring, but once again, didn’t do it. As June rolled around, I thought why not write about Greek white wines—perfect for summer. Needless to say, I chose another subject: California Cabernet. Was it a mental block? Could it have been my failing Greek in high school? (My attempts to master Xenophon’s Anabasis were futile, and when I asked for a tutor, my instructor, with a condescending smile, replied, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.") That must be it.

In fact, as I prepared for this tasting, I felt very much like a high-school sophomore looking for a trot to help me through varietal names I had never seen before, such as Agiorghitiko, Assyrtico, Tsaoussi, Xynomavro. It wasn’t until a member of our tasting group suggested doing a piece on kebabs, that I took it as an opportunity to conquer my fear and tackle the unknown.

I’m sure that my introduction to Greek wines is similar to many of yours: Retsina—even the name makes my mouth pucker. But that was the ‘70s when so many of us thought that Liebfraumilch epitomized German wine and Chianti in straw-covered flasks represented Italy’s best.

Greece, like most of the wine-producing countries, is participating in the modern wine world’s efforts to elevate the quality and ensure the consistency of its wines. For example, major producers like Tsantalis, Kourtakis, and Boutari maintain some extremely modern wineries using state-of-the-art technology. Other estates, such as Domaine Carras, developed with help from Bordeaux’s famous oenologist Emile Peynaud, and Domaine Lazaridi, are experimenting with blends of native Greek and imported French varieties.

With the arrival of the European Union, Greece’s wine laws are being made to conform with those of other member countries. Thus, it’s not unusual these days to find terms like “Appellation D’Origine de Qualite Superieur” or even “Vin de Pays” along with their Greek equivalents on wine labels.

Among the best known native Greek red varieties are:

Xynomavro (“acid black”), a black grape from Northern Greece that is at its best after some aging
Agiorghitiko (“Saint George’s grape”), a red grape that produces fruitier wines low in acidity

As for white varieties, the most popular appear to be:

Assyrtico, from the island of Santorini, known mainly for its acidity and crisp apple and citrus flavors.
Roditis. It’s found throughout Greece, but especially in the Peloponnese, and it is at its best at higher altitudes. Like Assyrtico, it’s quite high in acidity

In Northern Greece, some of the finest wines come from Naoussa in Greek Macedonia. There is also a good deal of newer “international” style wines, where quality and price seem to go hand in hand; for example, those from the Cotes de Melitin in Sithonia (home of Domaine Caras) as well as those from Drama in Thrace. Here, wines are often made from blends of native Greek and imported French varietals.

In the Peloponnese, Nemea seems to be the major appellation, where intense dry red wines are produced from Agiorghitiko grapes. On the north coast, the Patras appellation is known for dry white wines made from Roditis.

Among the Cyclades, the island of Santorini has earned a reputation for its dry white wine made chiefly from Assyrtico.

Moving east, to the island of Samos, we find what is possibly Greece’s most famous wine after Retsina, Muscat of Samos. This wine appears in three styles, the finest being Samos Nectar, made from sun-dried grapes and reaching an alcohol content of 14%.

From the southern part of central Greece comes Retsina (which is also made throughout the country but only for local drinking). This mouth puckering dry wine is made from a blend of Savatiano and either Roditis or Assyrtico. The resin taste comes from pieces of pine resin that are added to the must and remain there until they are separated along with the other solids when the wine is first racked.

Given the breadth of variety and increasing quality of Greek wines, I was surprised to find how often Greece is relegated in many wine guides and dictionaries to sections like “Other Wine Producing Regions.” In fact, it’s almost as difficult, unless you’re in a Greek neighborhood, to find a decent selection of these wines.

One excellent source of information on Greek wines can be found on line at Greek Wine. It’s intelligently written, exceptionally well organized, and easy to navigate. This website is an excellent place to begin exploring the subject. Another valuable resource, albeit only in hardcopy, is The Oxford Companion to Wine, Second Edition, edited by Jancis Robinson. You might also seek out, like I did, a store that carries Greek specialties and wine. I was lucky to find an excellent one about an hour away from me, The Greek Store, 612 Boulevard, Kenilworth, NJ 07033 (Telephone 908-272-2550).

Well, I finally did it: I wrote a feature on Greek wines. And in doing so, not only were my eyes opened to a wide variety of wines that are most enjoyable, relatively inexpensive, and should go well with many types of food, but after more than thirty years, I can finally forgive my high-school Greek teacher. Perhaps writing, along with some wine, can be therapeutic after all.

As is our custom, we first tasted all the wines individually and then chose to sample them with food. For this tasting, we served four types of kebobs: chicken, scallops, beef, and vegetables along with a variety of Greek dips and pita bread.

Non Vintage D. Kourtakis, Kourtaki, Retsina of Attica ($5.95)

Greenish yellow in color, this wine has an “industrial strength” pine nose that’s not at all chemical like, but rather like pure pine sap. On the palate, it’s tannic with flavors of pine, unripe honeydew, and lime zest sherbet. It has a nice cilantro-like finish. One needs to acquire a taste for this type of wine, but all concurred that it was far better than the Retsinas of by-gone school days. Good with grilled fish—especially with a mango-based salsa. Imported by Nestor Imports, Inc., New York, NY.

1997 D. Kourtakis, Vin de Crete ($6.99)

Pale gold in color, this wine has a floral honeysuckle and ripe melon nose. It’s light bodied with lemon citrus flavors as well as some lime. It has a good mouth feel and good body. Nicely structured with good acidity, its flavors linger and remain citrus-like to the end. This is a great, simple, straightforward wine that as one taster commented, “You could drink all day.” It was good with the scallop kebabs. Imported by Nestor Imports, New York, NY.

1998 D. Kourtakis, Kouros, Patras ($7.95)

Pale gold in color, this wine produced from the Roditis grape has an attractive floral and apple nose. Its flavors are predominantly grapefruit citrus, but overall it’s flat on the palate as though there were a hole in the middle. It’s not balanced and the flavors seem diluted. The finish is tart with notes of lemon pith. We wanted to return to taste this wine with the food, but unfortunately did not get a chance. I still think this wine might have shown better with some seafood, taking a supporting role. Imported by Nestor Imports, New York, NY.

1998 Santo Wines, Asyrtico, Santorini ($14.99)

Pale straw with a tinge of green in color, this wine has a big nose of minerals together with some nuttiness. On the palate, it’s acidic with tart green apple flavors. Very dry and not at all complex, it’s green apples from beginning to end. It also has an adequate finish. If you don’t expect a California style wine, you won’t be disappointed. Good with seafood and vegetables. Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA.

1998 Tsantalis, Agioritikos, Regional Wine ($11.95)

Pale straw in color, this blend of Athiri, Assyrtico, and Roditis has an intriguing nose of anise, butter, and a little vanilla. It’s light bodied with buttery, tangerine-citrus flavors. Well structured with good acidity, there’s a pleasant zestiness on the finish. This wine was very good with the scallops and the vegetables. One of the stars of the tasting. Imported by Fantis Imports, Inc., Carlstadt, NJ.

1998 Pape Johannou Vineyards, Assyrtico, “Ai Lia Vineyard” ($13.99)

Pale straw with a tinge of green, this wine has a vanilla nose with anise notes near the end. On the palate, it’s full bodied and buttery with just a bit of petillance. It has good acidity for food, and delivers plenty of anise and vanilla flavors, with an interesting celery-seed finish. This wine was exceptional with the food and enveloped the grilled vegetables. Definitely a star of this tasting. Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA.

1998 Pape Johannou Vineyards, Estate Red, Nemea ($12.99)

Deep ruby red in color with good long legs, this wine has a big beautiful nose of jammy strawberries and black pepper. Big and full bodied on the palate, it’s tannic with flavors of blue plums and dried figs. It’s tannic on the finish with some coffee notes. Good with beef.

1998 Pape Johannou Vineyards, Neme Old Vines, Nemea ($22.99)

Deep ruby in color with good legs, this wine has a huge nose of cloves and black pepper. Fill bodied and dry, it delivers plenty of jammy flavors of wild blackberries along with hints of vermouth and cedar. The tart black fruit flavors just seem to linger. It has a nice finish with some spice notes. This wine was outstanding with the beef. Definitely, another star of this tasting. Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA. Note: This wine is a bit above our price point of $20. We did not know it’s price before the tasting, but have included it in our notes for reference.

1998 Chateau Lazaridi, Regional Drama Red Dry Wine ($15.95)

Ruby in color, this wine has long legs (described as “Olympic” by one taster). The nose of this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot is complex with strawberry, walnut oil, butter, and some burnt sugar. It’s medium bodied and delivers jammy raspberry flavors along with some chalk and cassis. The finish is long and elegant. Good with the beef. One more star of this tasting. Imported by Fantis Imports, Inc., Carlstadt, NJ.

1993 Boutari, Naoussa, Grande Reserve ($15.95)

Garnet to orange brown in color, this wine made from the Xynomavro grape, has beautiful legs. The nose is big yet elegant with aromas of sweet tobacco, persimmon, and strawberry as well as some burnt sugar. On the palate, it’s tannic, tough, and leathery with cinder and ash like flavors. This wine was very good with the food and would probably be even better with lamb.

TableWine is a personal website and does not sell any wine. However, many of the wines we review are purchased from our local wine merchant, Wine & Spirit World. Their web site may help you locate a good number of our selections.

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