“I continually encounter a number of key misconceptions surrounding Greek wines. These prevent the wine drinking public from recognizing the true value of contemporary Greek winemaking. Here are a few:

1. Greek wines equal high-volume Retsina and Demestica

This image is an extremely powerful one, and not without reason; tourists visiting Greece discover that Retsina wines, produced in the backyard of almost every taverna in bulk and offered as a cheap food accompaniment, are indeed an intrinsic and authentic part of Greek culture. At the same time, the three largest Greek wine producers, with market share of over 50% of exports, confirm exactly this image by primarily offering Retsina and Demestica, and at discount prices. High quality Greek wine rarely reaches the shelves abroad, and therefore has not, to date, reached wine lovers’ minds.

Earlier this year, I had an honest and lengthy discussion with one of the above-mentioned export wineries. I was delighted to hear that a shift is currently taking place in their strategy and attitude, as they move increasingly toward the premium segment. This winery in particular has consolidated all of their low cost wines under one umbrella and introduced it with a different brand name, reserving their estate name for only the more serious wines. High volume wines have very little to do with the wine revolution that is taking place in Greece, so this is a highly desirable development.

Not surprisingly, this image still exists and little progress has been made to rectify this. Local Greek tavernas continue to offer mostly questionable quality wines; Retsina and Demestica are likely still the most widely distributed Greek wines abroad. At the same time, some high quality Retsina wines are being recognised and some of the large wineries continue their shift towards the premium segment. It will take much more time to reshape this powerful image with the public at large.

2. Greek wines are of low quality

The first misconception advances this one, but nothing is further from today’s truth. I would go so far as to say that some of the most exciting wines on this planet are currently being made in Greece. A handful of local grape varieties like Assyrtiko or Xinomavro already produce world-class wines. Whenever I present Greek wines to merchants, critics, or consumers abroad, the reactions are similar and repeatable: true surprise and disbelief about the high quality they experience. Whites are either mineral-driven or full of exotic and ripe fruit character, with aromas of lemon and citrus zest, and reds are often deeply coloured, loaded with silky fruit and spicy aromas, harmonious and serious with a velvety finish.

Greece has a real spread of terroir, plus a large and unique variety of grapes. Winemakers have learned to explore and exploit this combination, and it seems that the best is yet to come.

Wow, a lot has happened over the last couple of years. Greek wines are now considered trendy and exciting in many places, especially at top restaurants. The consumer has currently limited exposure as distribution is still an issue, but I am very encouraged by the recent developments. The coverage that Greek wines have received during the last 24 months is stunning. There is no doubt that the wines are being taken much more serious.

3. Good Greek wines are too expensive

In order to introduce their customers to Greek wines, many merchants ask for solid wines that can be sold for less than $10. Whilst these wines exist, the really exciting ones cost more. About 70% of the captivating wines will cost the consumer between $10 and $20, and about 95% of the top wines carry a price tag of up to $35. Not cheap, but there are few countries that offer truly inspiring wines for less than that amount, and a large number whose best wines cost a multiple.

The reaction of one well-known German wine writer precisely demonstrates my point. His response to the above was that, although the wines might be great, that the label states that the wine originates from Greece means they can’t be marketed at a higher price point. Penalizing wines simply due to their country of origin, instead of evaluating them solely on their merits, is, to my mind, an outdated school of thought.

Solid progress has been made: The medium and high end wines are being compared to similar quality wines from other countries, and suddenly do not feel that expensive any longer. More importers do not shy away from the top offerings because of price.

The quality in the medium segment continuously improves, and many wineries have lowered pricing. It is somewhat easier to find exciting wines in the $8 to $12 price bracket. Greek wines have become more competitive.

4. Greek wines from indigenous grape varieties are only interesting to wine geeks

Greece has an abundance of indigenous grape varieties, including some that had been on the verge of extinction. The most important white varieties for the commercial wine production are Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, Robola, and Roditis. For the reds, varieties include Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro.

I have often heard concerns that Greek wines are too far off the mainstream taste to succeed. Yet my experience paints a very different picture. This year, I presented three dozen Greek wines on several occasions to the public, wine critics, and wine journalists. These included international and indigenous varieties. In all cases, the wines that impressed most—and impressed even the wine merchants—were Greek natives, with Assyrtiko and Xinomavro coming out top. Both of these have the ability to clearly mirror their terroir, and are probably the most distinctive and least conventional. Assyrtiko from Santorini is grown in some of the hottest and driest vineyards on earth, and are often bone-dry, salty wines with strong mineral aromas. Xinomavro wines from the north of Greece typically lack fresh primary fruit on the nose and are dominated by vegetable aromas like freshly cut tomatoes. They are quite tannic and need hours in the glass to truly open up.

Unfortunately, the wine merchants always decide in favour of the more mainstream varieties, as they perceive them as a safer option.

The largest shift in perception has probably taken place here. Greek native varietals are now sought after, especially in the US market. Agiorgitiko, Xinomavro, Assyrtiko and Moschofilero are household names for Sommeliers and any serious importer of Greek wines includes them in his/her portfolio. These varieties are now the standard, not the exception.

5. Greek wines are hard to sell because of the language barrier

I often hear concerns that Greek wines may not become successful in the export markets simply because the names of the producers, regions, and grape varieties are too confusing and sound unfamiliar. Some of the newer wineries like Alpha Estate or Wine Art Estate selected their names simply to cater to the foreign markets.

Whilst I agree that the language barrier is somewhat problematic, enough examples of other wine producing countries with similar issues exist. No one argues today that Italy or Spain will fail in the export markets because of this; to the contrary, consumers have embraced their wines and educated themselves about them. Brunello di Montalcino made from the Sangiovese grape is one of Italy’s best-known wines. Are Xinomavro from Naoussa or Agiorgitiko from Nemea really that much harder to memorize?

The names of the Greek grape varieties are not that much of an issue any longer and this will improve going forward. Grower names are a different issue, but the cream will always rise to the top. Greek wines are making headway in the export markets despite the language barriers.”

About 50 people showed up, amongst them a renowned wine merchant, a well-known sommelier, a former wine queen (Weinkoenigin) of Germany, an American wine blogger who currently works at a German winery (great to have finally met you in real life @LindsayDuVin), and many other wine lovers. In my experience, most people still have some reservations when being introduced to Greek wines. Not this time around – the audience eagerly engaged with me from the very first moment. At no point did I feel the need to point out why Greek wines are so exciting. The participants knew that they are and wanted to get a taste of them.

None of the wines shown disappointed, to the contrary, they all lived up to or exceeded the expectations. I had included a total of 17 wines from 6 growers: Pavlidis (Drama), Thimiopoulos (Naoussa), Tetramythos (Peloponnese), Palivou (Peloponnese), Gaia (Santorini) and Manousakis (Crete), making this a solid selection from different growing areas, styles, and varietals. For me, this event marked an important watershed, as it gave a clear indication that Greek wines start to overcome some of the problems they have been facing in the past. It is still early days, but I am more than encouraged by these developments.

On Sunday I was in for a very unusual treat. Walfried Sander, neighbour and close friend of the Wuertz family, is a biodynamic farmer (farming, viniculture, cattle). In his spare time he likes to drive around in an old tank he owns (yes, those that are usually used for combat, although his is of course not armoured). I was invited to come along for a ride. For the first time in my life, I drove along vineyards in such a bizarre way. There is an advantage to this form of movement, as steep slopes were taken in a stride :) I did enjoy this adventure thoroughly. It was a clear day, and the views from the Petersberg were stunning. The Frankfurt skyline and the winegrowing region of the Rheingau were both clearly visible, although they are about 50 kilometres away.

I wish to thank everybody that made this weekend such a memorable experience!

Greek wines are discreet wines.

They offer the following characteristics:

• Crisp and refreshing acidity
• Noticeable but soft tannins
• Light bodied texture
• Relative low alcohol
• Mellow palate

This combination makes them the ultimate food wines. They are never too overpowering, yet packed with pure elegance. They are naturally restrained wines, balanced and harmonious. They truly complement food, rather than stealing the spotlight. They are simply made to be enjoyed, yet are far from being simple!

New Year’s Eve: Instead of Champagne, try some sparkling wines made from Athiri (Island of Rhodes), Debina (Zitsa), Moschofilero (Mantinia) or Xinomavro (Amyndeo). Fine examples from these wines are being made in the traditional method.

Easter: The Easter Sunday calls for red wines that accompany the roasted lamb dish! While many grape varieties are up to this task, for me, Xinomavro is the perfect partner.

Christening: Christenings are typically held during the spring and summer months, and take place late morning or early afternoon. Dry and crisp Greek rosé wines are a fine choice – and they keep surprising me in a very positive way.

Wedding: Weddings also happen mostly during the summer months, however, usually late afternoon is the chosen time for the ceremony. The celebration will follow in the evening hours. It is important to offer wines that are “mainstream” – for a white, I recommend Roditis, which pleases most palates with its high fruit level. For the red, my pick would be an unoaked Agiorgitiko: It is a perfect food companion for many dishes, and a real crowd pleaser. It is tradition for the groom and the bride to cut the wedding cake before dancing starts late at night. A demi-sec bottling of one of the sparkling wines mentioned earlier is in order!

Funeral: After the official ceremony, guests are offered strong coffee and Greek brandy. I am not going to argue with this combination, but I am quite interested what the tradition is in other countries.

Christmas: Go on, just treat yourself to some really top wines, and include at least one grape variety that you don’t know yet.

I tasted a 100% Vertzami by Antonopoulos – the first thing that struck me was its deep and intense colour, bordering on black. As the last years have seen a lot of research on the association of antioxidants with suppressed rates of degenerative diseases, I investigated the grape further. Vertzami actually contains appreciable amounts of non-coloured phenols. In a study of 20 different grape varieties, Vertzami was the richest variety in total anthocyanin content (TA), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon. The TA found Vertzami was more than 3 times higher than the average*!

Area grown: Western Peloponnese, Western Central Greece, Ionian Islands, noteably on the Island of Lefkada

History: Vertzami is thought to be a distinct member of the Marzemino/Barzemino/Balsamina cultivar family, which had their origin in Italy and was introduced by the Venetians during their dominion of the Ionian Islands.

Grapes: The vines are vigorous and resistant to many diseases. The grapes are deeply coloured with thick skins, high tannin levels and moderate to high acidity. They ripen late in the last September weeks and are best cultivated at a low altitude. Vertzami is often used as a blend to add colour.

Nose/Bouquet: My notes on this particular wine can be found here.

*The following excerpt is reprinted from Food Chemistry 99 (2006) page 789 – Principal phenolic compounds in Greek red wines by S. Kallithraka, E. Tsoutsouras, E. Tzouro, P. Lanaridis, with permission from Elsevier.

Regarding total anthocyanin content (TA) (Table 2), it varied from 19 (No. 5) to 1012, (No. 10)* the average being 308 mg l_1 in agreement with the results obtained by Harvalia and Bena-Tzourou (1982). Vertzami was the richest variety in TA, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Augoustiati. Mandilaria and Agiorgitiko were also rich in TA, in agreement with the results of Kallithraka et al. (2001) and Makris et al. (2002). *In this table, No. 10 was Vertzami.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03088146

On the 19th I had an appointment with one of the larger German wine merchants. Last year I mostly had meetings with wine merchants where I encountered a fair amount of prejudice. This time around, there was actually a real sense of excitement from the merchant to discover something new.

The next day I presented a number of Greek wines to 30+ members of a wine club. The high level of interest and engagement impressed me. The event lasted for more than 4 hours and I was very touched by rounds of applause afterwards.

Finally, on the third day I had the chance to taste Greek wines with a large wine importer who is also a real wine connoisseur. I encountered only open-mindedness and a real focus on the products. All five wines presented showed well, and two left a real mark and received high praise.

These last few days were a real indication that the “old” attitudes towards Greek wines are starting to change. I am truly delighted by these developments, although I am well aware that a lot more effort is needed to keep this positive momentum going.

• Most of Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century until its declaration of independence in 1821. Under the Ottoman rule alcohol consumption came to a halt and the art of viticulture died out.
• The next decades gave rise to the Corianthiaki, a grape variety that is used to produce raisins. Phylloxera reached the country in 1898, and Greece became heavily involved in the two world wars. Shortly thereafter, the Greek Civil War was fought between 1946 and 1949.
• During the 1960s, wine sales were dominated by bulk wine, and Retsina became the national drink.
• In the 1970s, bottled wine became common. Just a handful of big players dominated the market. This decade also saw a significant number of boutique wineries entering the wine scene.
• During the 1980s many more small businesses were set-up, and a number of different growing areas became the home of these soon to become top growers.
• The 1990s truly established the pioneers of the 70s and 80s. During this last decade of the century, quite a few winemakers who had been employed set-up their own wineries. 
• Finally, the last decade witnessed the birth of many new estates, and the involvement of a new generation of winemakers who are not afraid to push even harder towards the best possible quality.

Given the fact that the “modern” Greek wine industry has only been truly shaped over the last two decades, it can be expected that the best is yet to come.

Tsaoussi is an indigenous Greek grape variety mainly found on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, although it has been suggested to be of Macedonian origin. Kefalonia shot to fame when the best seller “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” was transformed into a movie that was shot on the island. It is located in the heart of an earthquake zone and dozens of tremors occur each year.

Tsaoussi is a mixed-use variety, used to produce wine, but also consumed as a table grape. The tall bush vines yield large grapes that lack some acidity. In the past, winemakers have therefore opted to pick the grapes early, when they were still somewhat under ripe. This typically yielded in bone dry, crisp wines with low alcohol content.

Since the year 2000, the leading Gentilini winery has moved towards a later harvest in order to move to a more elegant style by gaining more complex fruit aromas. The low acidity is corrected by using a small volume of wine from under ripe harvested Tsaoussi grapes. As a result of the later harvest, the alcohol level has now increased from 11% in their first 1984 vintage to 12.5 – 13%. Usually Tsaoussi is vinified and fermented at 14 degrees Celsius. The wines have aromas of peaches, melon and honey.

It is not common to find 100% Tsaoussi wines, as it is most of the times blended with higher acidity varieties such as Robola or Sauvignon Blanc.

Disclosure: The wine featured in the video above was given to me as a free sample by Petros Markantonatos, the owner of the Gentilini winery. He also provided me with information about the Tsaoussis grape variety.

My personal highlights included:

Avantis Estate (Island of Euboea)

Apostolis Mountrichas is best known for his work on the Syrah variety. I tasted the Syrah/Viognier 2007, which is full of spices, red fruits and forest aromas. It is an elegant wine with soft tannins and earthy elements. The rare Syrah Collection 2006 spent 24 months in barrel and matured for an additional 18 months in bottle. It has an essence of cassis, is full bodied and explosive on the palate. The whites also impressed me, they were all from the new 2009 vintage: The Malagousia is very aromatic and dominated by lychees, the Gewürztraminer rich and fresh with spices and exotic fruits, the Sauvignon Blanc super ripe. They all have very appealing acidity levels.

Gaia Estate (Santorini and Nemea)

The Gaia Estate seems to be going from strength to strength. The vintage of 2009 was truly stunning for Assyrtiko in Santorini, look out for these wines! One of my favourite Assyrtiko wines from the Island has always been the Gaia Thalassitis, and the 2009 must be the best I have yet encountered. It is an explosive wine with concentrated, exotic fruits and a stunning finish. Also impressive was the 2008 Assyrtiko Wild Fermented, which is dense and truly expressive of its terroir.

Karadimou (Fthiotida in the north of Greece)

This is a small producer who started in 2001. The 2007 Vissa is made from 100% Xinomavro. It has lots of soft yet concentrated raspberry flavours and some typical vegetable character. The wine has a fistful of tannins and certainly has a lot of bite. I think this will improve a lot of the next decade.

Mega Spilaio (Aigio, Peloponnese)

This estate is on the top of my “up and coming” list! The oenologist Stelios Tsiris certainly knows his work well. I tasted a tank sample of the 2009 Assyrtiko Laghori that grabbed my attention. It has very expressive exotic fruits, but this is the only hint that this wine is produced in Greece. The vineyards have an altitude of 800 to 900 meters, and the cooler climate expresses itself in the wine. The Syrah Rosé 2009 must be one of my favourite Greek rosé wines. The real gems are the three reds: A Mavrodaphne/Kalavryta blend, a 100% Syrah and a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. I was able to taste the 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages of the former and the latter, plus the 2005 and 2006 of the Syrah. There was a distinctive variation in the vintages, 2005 being a very hot year, 2006 a year with unusual wet weather conditions. However, the quality of the wines was not effected, all wines were top notch and simply expressed the vintages in different ways.

Important wine critics and writers around the globe already started changing their attitude towards Greek wines. A lot of praise is coming from these important influential voices . This is a force that is not to be underestimated and it is gaining momentum. Now is the perfect time to start initiatives to change the image Greek wines are having with the common people. I wish to suggest one simple yet modern option today, which might be implemented without too many obstacles, and will lead to distinct positive results over time.

According to Wikipedia, Greece attracts 16 million tourists each year. It is probably an understatement that this is a critical mass of people that can be reached. Most tourists visit during their stay at least once, more likely multiple times, a Taverna to eat and drink. Tavernas usually offer good value for money when it comes to food, and are of course an important part of the Greek culture. The wine served is in most cases the house wine. The great majority of those are open wines, either purchased from the neighbour who, as it happens so often, grows vines, or self-made by the family of the taverna owner in the backyard. In both cases the wine will come from an untrained “hobby” winemaker. The wine is then filled into large plastic containers, and is very prone to oxidation. The quality is largely appalling. This is the first impression of Greek wines that the tourists take back home. To make matters worse, they will tell others about it.

An alternative is desperately needed. Of course it is not feasible for Tavernas to stock up on high quality bottles of wine. There is however an alternative available, through which solid, decent quality wines can be offered at similar prices to the current house wines: Bag in box wines. The number of talented Greek winemakers is growing every year, and these are the people who will have no problem crafting solid quality bag in box wines. Unfortunately, as of today not enough wineries produce and promote bag in box wines in Greece, and I would like to see more producers joining in. These wines could then be distributed to the Tavernas. At the islands, this should be easily achievable. On the mainland, the wines should be distributed to the local Tavernas in reach. It might not seem to be financially rewarding at first, but it will change people’s perception of Greek wines, I am sure.

Bag in box wines offer many important advantages, for example, they can be stored for a couple of months, and keep fresh for some weeks after being opened. They can also be excellent value for money wines.  Another very strategic advantage is that the tourists could be introduced to the Greek grape varieties. Label the bag in box wine as Roditis or Agiorgitiko! Get the Taverna owner to proudly tell his customer who orders a white wine that he can offer a really good Roditis.

It takes initiative – but imagine the results that could be achieved in a few years time. The image of Greek wines abroad would be altered to the better and this would lead to a chain reaction where people would actually ask for Greek wines, as they enjoyed them in the first place. I am aware that there are wineries that already have taken exactly this initiative, the Tetramythos Estate is a good example. But we need more wineries to join ranks.

My dear friend, the winemaker Christos Kokkalis  took another, more radical approach: He lives in a small village and was obviously fed up with the quality of the house wine that was offered at his local Taverna. The owner grew vines in his backyard and produced the wine himself. Kokkalis offered to help – and ended up doing the whole vinification himself. He now proudly says that you can get the best house wine in all of Greece in his village. And the Taverna owner does tell every customer very proudly that he offers a real good Agiorgitiko. :) Changes are possible – let us start today.