After the annual Greek wine fair Oenorama in March, I darted from Athens to Central Greece to the Valley of the Muses before swooping down to eastern Crete. The surging feeling of energy across the Greek wine scene is so potent right now that if you offered me a Greek passport I’d change my name to Giorgos in a heartbeat.
From the front line of Greece’s deep-rooted vineyards, I bring my very own blueprint for the Ten Commandments of Greek Wine…
1. Old vines are big news
From Mouhtaro in the Valley of the Muses to Savatiano in Central Greece to the familiar veneration of Assyrtiko in Santorini, old vines are extensive in Greece and there are plenty more to discover, promote and celebrate.
2. It’s not all about sunshine
Greece is a land of snow-capped mountains, abundant hillsides, lakes and endless coastline. Sun-drenched islands may be the familiar poster campaign, but there is so much more – you’ll find cool-climate vineyards in regions from Epirus in the northwestern mainland, where it often snows, to the breezy Valley of the Muses and the high Ziros plateau in Crete. Warmth in Greece is often mitigated by wind, water and altitude.
3. Assyrtiko is the flagship white
Beyond Santorini, plenty of contrasting styles of Assyrtiko are marching across the mainland and islands. But after Assyrtiko, the next superhero white grape is waiting in the wings. Savatiano has widespread planting and quality. But Kidonitsa, albeit in small quantities, deserves to be leading the
