A Greek success story
Exploring the country's remarkable rise on the export market and the tremendous variety on offer
Greek wine has come a long way since it was consumed after being diluted with water. You may be thinking this was a practice employed by dubious producers who inflicted their weak wine on unwary tourists soaking up the sun in the likes of Corfu or Crete, but mixing water with wine was a common practice during symposia, lavish and often raucous social gatherings in ancient Greece that would last for 24 hours and include drinking games and sometimes intellectual discussion.
The wine needed to be watered down for the latter, particularly if you’re trying to get to grips with Plato’s allegory of the cave, and it sometimes feels like you need something approaching the intellectual capabilities of the great Greek philosophers to keep on top of the vast number of grape varieties the country grows (and then you need to try to pronounce them correctly) as well as the large number of PGIs1 and PDOs2 the country possesses, something I realised as I embarked on a steep learning curve during the Wines of Greece Annual Trade Tasting at St Mary’s Church in Marylebone earlier this month.
Far from being a hindrance to the country’s growth in the export market, non-international varieties such as assyrtiko, xinomavro and agiorgitiko have contributed to a surge in popularity in Greek wine. The country’s entry into the EU in the 1980s was the catalyst for increased investment in winemaking, and by the 1990s Greek winemakers were returning to their country ready to put into practice methodologies learned in the top oenology schools around the world.
Fast forward to the current day and the country’s export value is worth around 100 million euros (15 per cent of Greece’s total production is exported), with the value of its exports to Britain worth more than seven million euros (up from just under three million euros in 2018).
There are 1,600 wineries (the vast majority being small, family-run operations) and, with more than 300 indigenous grape varieties, the wine geek is unlikely to become bored. Greece is responsible for less than two per cent of EU wine production and less than 0.8 per cent of world wine production, but its impact far exceeds those figures.
While at the event I attended a tasting led by renowned Greek wine expert Sofia Perpera and Richard Bampfield MW focusing on the areas of Macedonia, Epirus and Central Greece. Below are the highlights.
Assyrtiko doesn’t have to come from Santorini to be excellent
One of the things that struck me was the range of assyrtikos on display. This variety is invariably linked to the Aegean island of Santorini, but there also excellent examples on the mainland. Below are my standouts:
Ktima Pavlidis, Emphasis Assyrtiko 2023, PGI Drama (£15-£17 The Greek Delicatessen)
From a PGI in the east of Macedonia, this has the steely, ‘wet stone’ characteristics often associated with assyrtiko, and the high acid contributes to the linear style. As is often the case in Greece, the grapes were grown at altitude (400-500 metres). Decent value.
Domaine Hatzimichalis, Assyrtiko Alepotrypa Vineyard Vineyard 2023, PGI Atalanti Valley (RRP £16.50 The Oxford Wine Company, Marathon Foods Ltd, Agora Greek Delicacies)
A demonstration that assrytiko doesn’t have to be steely. This exhibited ripe stone fruit on the palate and alcohol was14.5%. For those who prefer a more opulent style. The PGI is located in Central Greece and the grapes grown on flatlands close to the sea.
Ktima Biblia Chora, Areti 2022, PGI Pangean (RRP £26.50, imported by Cava Spiliadis UK and Hallgarten & Novum Wines)
More expensive than the previous two but a step up in quality. From a PGI in Macedonia, Biblia Chora is located in the Pangean mountain range. Stone fruit and citrus with a saline and nutty finish. The wine rests on its lees for several months and this contributes to the complexity.
If you like sauvignon blanc, try malagousia
A fantastic variety that can contribute some pronounced aromatics, Malagousia nearly became extinct before Domaine Carras and a handful of other producers resurrected it less than 30 years ago. It deserves to be better-known. It also has good affinity to oak, giving producers scope for different styles in the winery.
Ktima Gerovassiliou, Malagousia 2023, PGI Epanomi (RRP £24, imported by Hallgarten & Novum Wines)
Pronounced on the nose, floral, elderflower and stone fruit, with wet stone characteristics as well. Lees ageing contributes to complexity. Epanomi is in Central Macedonia.
If you like chianti, try agiorgitiko
Greece’s most-grown red variety, agiorgitiko’s traditional homeland is in Nemea and Mantinia in the Peloponnese, but is also grown in more northerly locations.
Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Chateau Julia Agiorgitiko 2021, PGI Drama (RRP £15-£16, imported by Agora Greek Delicacies Ltd and Spirit Merchants)
This reminded me of a chianti made in a fresh style. Red, sour cherry and strawberry with high acidity. Easy drinking.
Greece’s noblest red variety
I’m a great fan of xinomavro. It ages fantastically, in part owing to its naturally high tannin and acidity. We tasted five xinomavros, two from PDO Amyndeo and three from PDO Naoussa, both located in Macedonia.
Alpha Estate, Ecosystem Xinomavro Reserve Vieilles Vignes ‘Barba Yannis’ 2020, PDO Amyndeo (RRP £33.50, imported by Hallgarten & Novum and Maltby & Greek)
Alpha Estate is the largest vineyard owner in Greece and it makes some excellent wines, including this. Red fruit with a mineral streak and a spicy, long finish. This spent 24 months in new French oak but it complements, rather than overpowers the fruit.
Boutari Wineries, Grande Reserve 2013, PDO Naoussa (RRP £21.99 - £24.99, imported by Aspris & Son and The Greek Delicatessen)
Generally speaking the tannins in xinomavro from Naoussa are higher, to give examples redolent of Barolo and Barbaresco (but at a lower price) and this is a great example of the ageing capability of the variety. Plenty of tertiary characteristics evident with some sweet spice from oak ageing.
Flight 17
Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Meruzzano 2017 (£65, 67 Pall Mall)
A friend and I were looking for something decent without breaking the bank at 67 Pall Mall last week and this ended up being a decent choice (It retails for about £40 but can be hard to find). There was a real earthiness coming through on the nose and palate with herbs, and this is a style I can really get on with. Another example of how beguiling nebbiolo can be.
Senkin Kame no 0 ‘50’ Junmai Daiginjo, Senkin Brewery, Tochigi (£48, Streatham Wine House)
From a sake tasting at West London Wine School. Polishing ratio (the percentage of rice grain remaining after polishing of the outer layers of the grain) of 50 per cent, so quite a fresh, fruit-forward style. Unripe banana and savoury edge owing to use of ambient yeast with relatively high acidity for sake. Quite accessible for wine converts.
Ritterhof ‘Lenz’ bianco 2023, Alto Adige (around £15)
One of a selection of wines I tasted at the weekend from the north Italy region of Alto Adige in the shadows of the Dolomites. Predominantly chardonnay with muller-thurgau and moscato giallo, the latter two varieties giving perfumed aromas to complement the stone fruit. At 12.5% abv this is nice and fresh - as are a lot of the whites from the region.
Protected Geographical Indication, of which there are 114 in Greece
Protected Designation of Origin. Basically appellations within the PGIs. There are 33 of these in Greece, Santorini being the most famous