Tavernas in Greece offer affordable, delicious and authentic food. Unfortunately the accompanying wines usually share only one, either the “affordable” or the “delicious”, attribute. Mediocre jug wines are the rule (affordable). If one is able to find selected bottled wine (delicious), their price tags are often reminiscent of the wine lists seen at posh international restaurants.

I just spent a week with my family in one of Greece’s most beautiful villages, Kyparissi in Laconia (Peleponnese). Our favourite local taverna is called “Ploes” – apart from the outstanding food, the owners do a great job of selecting Greek wines from the local area that do deliver – both in terms of price and quality.

It is hard to track down solid quality jug wines, but certainly not impossible. Imagine my surprise when I found out that one of the bag in box wines comes straight from the Theodorakakou Estate, one of Laconia’s largest organic growers.

What impressed me even more was the pricing and availability of the bottled wines on offer: The current 2010 vintages of the stunning Kydonitsa and the equally successful Malagousia by Vatistas Vineyards for 15 Euros each, as well as the 2010 Laloudi (Moschofilero) by the Monamvasia winery for 14 Euros. These wines are amongst the best in all of Laconia.

The people behind Ploes do things right. They take care of details and the taverna is a showcase of a successful small portfolio of local Greek wines that educate the visitor and give immense drinking pleasure while fitting the overall prices of the dishes. I wish more taverna owners would follow suit – it would be so beneficial to introduce tourists to captivating and affordable wines, rather than relying on the cheap and uninspiring choices.

In Germany, it is still rare to see high quality Greek wines listed at wine merchants, or non-Greek restaurants. The decision of such a very high class establishment to offer Greek wine is groundbreaking and potentially trendsetting.

The final selection includes different varietals from a number of wine regions and growers:

Thimiopoulos Ghi kai Uranos, 100% Xinomavro from Naoussa.

Gentilini Eclipse, 100% dry Mavrodaphne from the island of Cephalonia.

Gentilini Robola Cellar Selection, 100% Robola from the island of Cephalonia.

Gaia Thalassitis, 100% Assyrtiko from the island of Santorini.

Manousakis Nostos Syrah, 100% Syrah from the island of Crete.

Manousakis Nostos Roussanne, 100% Roussanne from the island of Crete.

My thanks go out to all the Greek winemakers who work so hard to produce such exciting quality. I am also very grateful to Juergen Fendt, the well-known Sommelier from the Bareiss Restaurant, who is a truly open-minded wine professional.

For general information of pairing Greek wines and food, please take a look at these suggestions by Konstantinos Lazarakis MW.

At the same time, Greek wines share an abundance of similarities. The likeness among them is a topic seldom discussed, however I believe that it is in the resemblance of their qualities where part of the deep soul of Greek wines lies. Agriculture has always played a major role in Greece, and viticulture has been interwoven with the Greek culture for thousands of years. Generations of families have made a living out of wine-growing.

Greek wines are usually characterised by moderate alcohol levels and being high in acidity. They are also distinctive in that they convey a sense of place. Finally, they are light to medium bodied and are never too heavy. Oenological practises highlight the fruit aromas, yielding wines that are refreshing.

This basis of Greek wines forms fertile ground for the diversity in their refinement, which results in this offering of plentiful wine variations. It also makes Greek wines the perfect food partners – a true trademark for this country’s wines: if one adds to that the notion of diversity that Greek wines offer, there is almost no limit to the food varieties that can be matched.

It is no surprise that the single largest buying group for importers in countries like the US or the Netherlands are in the gastronomy, namely restaurants. Yet the end-consumer does not really seem aware of the value proposition of Greek wines.  Their ability to pair naturally so well with food is still grossly underrated.

I have no doubt that this will change dramatically in the near future. The millennial generation is eager to explore new wine regions, and they will sooner rather than later be on the lookout for exciting food and wine pairings. Greek wines over-deliver exactly in that aspect, and are very approachable in their pricing. There is real potential for Greek wines to become hip and word of mouth will convey the message that the Greek wine industry has not yet focused on marketing.

I had the pleasure of showing a selection of my portfolio that I carry via 600bottles to the well-known Sommelier Juergen Fendt. Many critics regard Herr Fendt as the best German Sommelier. It goes without saying that he is extremely knowledgeable; I certainly enjoyed his comments and also learned some important lessons on how a top Sommelier selects wines.

We tasted 7 wines from 5 producers, including indigenous and international varieties, covering the regions of Drama, Naoussa, Peloponnese, Santorini and Crete. Herr Fendt commented that the wines presented will fit very well into their wine list, and that all are well priced. He decided to include 6 wines from the spring of 2011 onwards. Diners will be able to enjoy wines from Pavlidis, Thimiopoulos, Tetramythos, Gaia and Manousakis at one of the finest and most prestigious restaurants in Germany. On offer will be a blend of Agiorgitiko/Syrah, as well as the 100% varietals Xinomavro, Roditis, Assyrtiko, Syrah and Roussanne. As far as I know, this the first time ever that such a great selection of fine Greek wines will be included in the wine list of a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars in Germany.

I am truly delighted by this development, as it is a recognition of the work and progress that Greek wineries have made in recent years. I am lucky to call these winemakers my friends and I congratulate them on this great result!  I am also very impressed by Herr Fendt, he is clearly a professional that is open-minded and is not afraid to embrace change.

A few days before, my mother-in-law had given me some almonds covered in dark chocolate that were left over from an event she had hosted. I helped myself to one and went back to my working desk. I took a small bite and enjoyed. A few minutes earlier, I had poured myself a glass of white wine, and I took a sip.

A fruit explosion hit my taste buds immediately. The wine cut right through the dark chocolate and somehow the bitterness of the almonds maximised the exotic fruit aromas of the wine. The dark chocolate also fitted in perfectly, and the combined result was an extremely fruity and fresh raisin sensation. In my opinion, the high acidity level of the wine and the low sugar content of the dark chocolate worked perfectly in sync.

The wine in question is the Gaia Notios, a good “value wine” that retails between 6 and 7 Euros. It is a blend of Moschofilero and Roditis. Moschofilero results in highly aromatic, crisp wines. Roditis has high fruit levels and intense aromas. In blending these two varieties, the high acidity levels of the Moschofilero make the resulting wine quite vibrant. It is dominated by melon and citrus flavours.

I usually do not write about wine and food pairings, as there are so many great sources available that already do a great job, a good example being Fiona Beckett. But when I find something unusual and off the beaten track, I might just do that. I always thought of red wines to go with chocolate, now I will keep looking out for whites.

My favourite wine shop in Athens is Kazakos Drink Bank . The co-owner and sommelier Vassilis Papadopoulos is a young and dynamic wine enthusiast, who is constantly looking to share the joys of wine drinking. In 2005 he founded the Kazakos Wine Club , an independent offshoot of Kazakos Drink Bank. Today, it has well over 400 members. Its main purpose is to promote wine culture in Greece by organising various wine-related events and activities. Membership and activities are free, or exclusively offered at cost price. This is commendable, and no one involved with the Kazakos wine club receives any financial remuneration.

Last Friday, they had organised a very special wine and food event at Apolis, one of the top restaurants in Athens, which also offers the most stunning views overlooking Athens. Dimitris Dimitriadi is the chef there, and he had prepared a 7-course menu to accompany 6 wines from the Alpha Estate . Alpha is one of the newer estates in Greece, but has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. 65 ha of vineyards surround the impressive winery in the Amyndeon region in the northern parts of Greece. Alpha’s winemaker, Angelos Iatridis, also attended the event. He has gained a reputation for his scientific approaches to viniculture.

The invitation was for 0900 pm, my wife and I together with a couple of very good friends were immediately impressed by the setting. The organisation was excellent throughout the evening; we had a private table and I have to confess upfront that the food was outstanding. I have not had the pleasure of such a refined cuisine in a long time.  The thing that I really appreciated about this evening was that the atmosphere was extremely informal and relaxed. One felt like a friend between new friends – this is usually not an easy task to accomplish, as there were over 100 attendants. Vassilis and Angelos visited the tables of all guests several times, and everyone had ample opportunity to enjoy a private conversation with them. Later, the chef of the restaurant, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Kazakos also introduced themselves in the same way.

In Greece food for dinner is usually served at the later hours. This event was no exception, the first course and wine pairing took place at 1030 pm, the last at 0130 am. But time just flew by, and it was fascinating to see how well the wines paired.

Pumpkin soup with yoghurt: Alpha Sauvignon Blanc 08
A great pairing, the pumpkin soup was very delicate with fine flavours. The Sauvignon Blanc showed ripe exotic mango and pineapple aromas, and the nearly creamy texture went very well with the yoghurt.

Vine leaves stuffed with shrimp in oil and lemon sauce: Alpha Chardonnay 08
The dish was my personal favourite, also at first I thought that it would be no easy task to find a wine that would be able to cope with the oil and lemon sauce. I admired the ability of the Chardonnay to cut right through the dish. It had an exotic and buttery nose, was quite pronounced on the palate and had the perfect acidity. The barrel flavours were very nicely integrated, and a few minutes of air opened up the wine tremendously.

Handmade crunchy pie with mushrooms and Kaseri cheese
Fresh rigatoni pasta with zucchini, oregano and Xinomitzidra cheese: Alpha Pinot Noir 06
This time both pairings were easy; the pinot was full of cherry notes, with some oak flavours lingering in the background. It was rich on the palate but elegant in style at the same time. In my view it could use a little more serious depth, but it certainly has potential. It went very well with both cheese-based dishes.

Chicken bruschetta with fresh garden greens and mustard vinaigrette
Veal Rib Eye Souvlaki with lemon grass, chickpeas with Feta cheese and cumin, baked pita and “ketchup” homemade from red peppers:  Alpha red 05 (Syrah, Xinomavro, Merlot) 05 and Alpha Syrah 06
I tried both courses with the two wines and preferred the Syrah with the bruschetta and the Alpha red with the veal. The Syrah was full of coffee and chocolate flavours, coupled with red fruits and exotic spices. It was able to cleanse the palate off the bruschetta. The tannins were noticeable, but softly structured. The Veal rib eye souvlaki was a revelation

– the stick was made out of lemon grass, and these flavours had made their way into the meat. The Alpha red was my personal top dry wine of the night. It is very gentle, elegant and full of red fruits. The wine needs food, and the pairing was just perfect.

Sweets with Omega 05
At this point I was stuffed! I left the sweets for my wife and friends and enjoyed the Omega 05. The wine is made from late harvested grapes, 85% Gewurztraminer and 15% Malagousia. I loved the pear and apricot aromas, it was nearly Barsac like on the nose, and the lemon flavours reminded me of Chateau Climens. The wine has a super acidity and is not cloying at all, on the opposite; it is extremely fresh and vibrant. This is a wine to watch out for.

The price for this wonderful evening was just Euro 55 per person. Did I mention that parking right in front of the restaurant was also provided? I look forward to participate in hopefully many more of these events, what a wonderful way to end the week!