There has been a revolution in the quality of Greek wines,
during the last 10 years. With memories
of overly pine fresh retsina and simple rustic reds are now well and truly
banished. Greece has turned itself to be one of the most
exciting wine-producing countries in the
world, according to wine specialists.
LIMNIONA is from Thessaly.
Limniona is Greece’s answer to Pinot Noir, producing wines with fragrant
aromas of red berries and rose petals of a delicate, silky texture. Many Limnona vineyards were grubbed up during
the 1980s and 90s as the vine was not productive and the wines were inky coloured reds. Fortunately, producers like Christos
Zafirakis returned from training in Bordeaux and Piemonte saved his family’s vineyards
producing a superb, complex, juicy Limniona.
It was scored 95 points by Decanter Magazine recently and are wonderful
with skewered lamb, bourguignon and ratatouille.
SANTORINI’S ASSYRTICO
Assyrtiko is probably the best known Greek grape
internationally, based entirely on the reputation established by Santorini, a tiny island in the Cyclades, where this grape grows and produces exquisite
fresh white wines. The best assyrtiko wines are those of Argyros and Sigalas and they are simply superb with seafood dishes.
NAOUSA XINOMAVRO
Xinomavro is one of Greece’s world-class grapes, capable of
creating breath-taking, complex wines.
Due to its tannicity, it needs very careful handling. Apostolos Thymiopoulos, a greatly approved
wine producer makes a fantastic, full-bodied but very graceful Xinomavro. His
Jeunes Vignes and Earth and Sky Xinomavro are of the best red wines of Greece. Serve it with meat, chicken and duck dishes.
NEMEA AGIORGITIKO is the Greek version of Bordeaux Cabernet
Sauvignon. It is considered to be the
best quality red grape grown in the Peloponnese, where it makes full-flavoured,
polished and age-worthy reds with flavours of fruit and spices. Agiorgitico Boutari is highly recommended. Serve it with a stifado.
I wish to say a few words about certain wines that I
particularly appreciate, which are:
PARANGA, a refreshing and jammy combination of a very spicy Greek Syrah that makes one appreciate the herbal undertones of this excellent Xinomavro. Pastitsio, meatballs and lasagne with pesto are a must with this wine.
(My dear friend Jonie reminded me of this fantastic wine,)
ROBOLA is a white Greek wine grape variety that has grown permanently on the Ionian Island of Cephalonia. Historically the vine is said to be the same variety as the wine grape Ribolla was thought to have been brought to northeastern Italy by Venetian merchants trading with Cephalonia during the 13th century. Today, Robola is classified by the Vitis International Variety Catalogue as a separate variety. The Robola grape yields an elegant white wine that can be likened to a good Santorini wine, and when it is young it resembles a Chablis and after a few years, it is compared with Riesling. Serve it with seafood and tasty cheese pies.
MAVRODAPHNE is a sweet red wine, an aperitif from Patras, and it is served with roasted almonds and dry fruit. It is best served with fresh fruit, yellow cheese, icecream and chocolate cake.
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