DISCOVER THE WINES OF GREECE
By Seema Tikare
I went to Greece a long time ago – suffice it to say, it was a different decade. But it had been a place I had wanted to go for years and honestly, nothing I have seen since compares. I went to the Oracle at Delphi and wondered what doom she would have foretold for me. I saw the sun set over the Aegean from a clifftop as I gazed at the stunning, crumbling Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. I wandered through the maze at the Palace of Knossos on Crete where the fabled Minotaur was kept captive. I can’t adequately express how breathtaking it all was. Unfortunately, I did not appreciate the wines at all, mainly because I was only drinking Retsina, a wine that has been a tradition in Greece for 2,000 years. Because they did not have glass bottles for storing and transporting wine, early Greek wine makers used clay amphorae that they sealed with pine resin. The resin then permeated the wine and people began to like the flavor – using it even after they had switched to wooden barrels and then glass.
It has always been a puzzle that even though Greece was a pioneer in winemaking thousands of years ago, we don’t drink much Greek wine now. There are many theories about why: the quality of winemaking lagged as did the economy compared to France or Italy; the grapes are unfamiliar and difficult to pronounce; they have not capitalized on marketing opportunities; the estates are too small to compete on the international market. But Greek wines seem to be finally emerging onto the world stage — so drumroll please — these wines are fabulous and will become customer favorites.
KOURTAKI RETSINA OF ATTICA WINE, GREECE
No article about Greek wine would be complete without a taste of Retsina, which many people genuinely like and, to be honest, I do too these days. Kourtaki Wines have been produced since 1895 by the first formally trained oenologist in Greece, Vassilis Kourtakis. Retsina is made with the Savatino grape to which the winemaker adds pieces of Aleppo Pine resin to infuse the wine with the fragrant, fresh scent of cedar. At under $10 a bottle, it is definitely worth trying, especially during the hot days of summer. The wine is tart, spicy, and refreshing. It pairs very well with a Greek salad, olives, and calamari. Available from Yiannis Distributing Company.
2022 ANHYDROUS ASSYRTIKO, SANTORINI, GREECE
Undoubtedly, my favorite wine from Greece is made with the Assyrtiko grape. Assyrtiko is a heat and drought resistant variety which makes a rich, full-bodied white wine that is quaffable anytime, all the time. This particular wine is actually a blend, dominated by Assyrtiko, but with some Aidani and Athiri grapes blended in for their floral and lemony notes, respectively. This is a project started by an economist in Greece who had a passion for wine. Santorini is an unfriendly landscape for wine — dry and very hot. To cope with this, the vines are planted in deep craters and then trained into a basket shape inside the crater to shelter the grapes from direct sun and to trap any moisture from the vines in the small space inside the hole. Santorini vineyards are a surreal sight to behold. When you taste the wine, you can almost feel the chalky limestone and salty sea air, the bright fruit ripening under the sunshine, and the chilled refreshment of the acidity. This wine pairs with anything — from grilled fish to pasta dishes with rich sauces. Available from Classic Wine Imports.
2022 GAI’A ASSYRTIKO WILD FERMENT, SANTORINI, GREECE
Pronounced “yah-yah”, this 100% Assyrtiko is a marvel. Again, grown on the volcanic soils of Santorini, this wine evokes the ancient days of Greek sailors on the startlingly blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Wild Ferment sounds like an adventure but it is actually just allowing the natural yeasts to ferment the wine in a traditional style. This method has been used for thousands of years and is still used today because it creates a unique set of flavors that cultivated yeasts sometimes skate over. But this “wildness” is tamed with fermentation that takes place in a combination of French and American oak barrels, in Acacia barrels which were very traditional at one time, and in stainless steel tanks. The complexity makes it a wine to savor along with your favorite spanakopita and Greek bourek. Available from Boston Wine Company.
2021 MARKOU EMEIS CARBONIC RED — AGIORGITIKO AND MANDILARIA, GREECE
Chilled red wine is one of my favorite treats in the summer. Especially when having a light lunch outdoors or even a picnic. And carbonic wines are exactly what one needs. Carbonic maceration means that grapes are left whole in a container with carbon dioxide (often beginning as dry ice). As the grapes remain in this oxygen poor environment, they begin a process of fermentation that is knows as “intracellular” rather than yeast based. This fermentation process can create up to 2% alcohol and causes the grapes to burst open. As the juice leaks out, one can allow oxygen into the container to begin the traditional fermentation process. Carbonic maceration is widely used in Beaujolais, where it imparts a bright, candied strawberry flavor to the wines. Here it makes a wine perfect for chilling and enjoying with a variety of fish, meat, and even some pastries. Available from Boston Wine Company.
2017 DOMAINE SKOURAS MEGA OENOS, CORINTH, GREECE
How can you not be intrigued by a wine that calls itself the Great Wine? Fortunately, it lives up to its name. This wine, made with 100% Agiorgitiko (pronounced as it is spelled!), is a marvel. It is exuberantly fruity with a touch of leather and spice, refreshing, with silky, textured tannins and a long, very beautiful finish. This wine takes you from the Attic peninsula and refined Athens, over to the Peloponnese and fierce places like Sparta and Olympia. It is a hilly, beautiful area that had kings like Agamemnon and history that takes you on a journey of wonder. It is difficult to separate the country from the culture, and Mega Oenos is a great travel companion. It pairs beautifully with lamb kebabs and gyros wrapped in freshly baked pita bread. Available from MS Walker.
2019 KIR-YIANNI RAMNISTA RED XINOMAVRO, NAOUSSA, GREECE
Xinomavro is one of the most highly regarded grapes by Greek winemakers. This is a big wine – high acid, high tannin, fruity, and powerful. Grown mostly in the rugged mountains to the north of the country, it is a grape that embodies this wild landscape. Winemakers often use wood barrels to mellow out the wines, using oak or even locally grown walnut barrels to allow air and time to smooth out the ferocious tannins, with aging in bottle for up to 15 years being not uncommon for the full glory of the wine to emerge. Some people compare it to Barolo, which has a similar structure. I think that it stands in a category by itself. Try it with spicy barbeque, lamb shanks, and massive steaks. My mouth is already watering. Available from MS Walker.
