Wines and wine regions of Greece
The cradle of civilisation, democracy and European winemaking. Given its elevated status, the wines of Greece have, until relatively recently, not shown up on the radar of public interest beyond some yearning for a liquid that tastes like pine disinfectant, to bring 'those holiday memories' flooding back. Quietly, over the past decade, there has been a revolution in winemaking styles alongside a flowering of home -grown talent. Indigenous grape varieties from regions with distinct local attributes means that this is a country with a lot to offer the discerning and curious drinker.
View a full list of our Greek white wine and Greek red wine.
Nemea
A couple of hours drive from Athens and you leave the mainland at Corinth and climb up into the wine region of Nemea. The scenery on the long road up becomes increasingly mountainous. At this height the air remains relatively cool all year round prolonging the ripening season of the grapes, helping make the reds of Nemea some of the finest in all Greece. The main grape used for the red wines is one called ‘Agiorgitiko’ which can be Anglicised to ‘St. George’.
Santorini
The island of Santorini is the remains of an ancient volcano that sits in startling deep blue waters like a gigantic discarded croissant. Along the high cliff of the crater’s rim are dotted towns and villages of bright white houses, mostly given over to the hotel trade. Back from the cliff the land slopes down a few miles to the outer edge and it is in this friable volcanic, moonscape, soil that vines have been grown since antiquity. Because of high winds and low rainfall the vines are trained in a unique basket shape hugging the ground, giving the passer-by the impression of a countryside covered in rather oversized birds nests. The island is famed for its mineral-rich, delicately-scented Assyrtiko, which is deliciously refreshing served cool on a hot day.
Samos
The Aegean island of Samos, lies just off the Turkish coast and is most famous for producing sweet wines made from the Muscat grape. The Island has a remarkable wine heritage, stretching back as far as 1200 BC. Production is controlled by the Cooperative (full name The Union Of Winemaking Cooperative of Samos, est. 1934) which has two wineries on the island in Malagali and Karlovasi.
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