Gastronomic Greece
You might not be too familiar with great Greek wine but the country actually ranks eleventh in wine producing countries worldwide, and, although the Greeks aren’t as well known for their gastronomy as France and Italy, they have some seriously tasty treats on offer!
In fact, charcuterie and antipasti boards have a serious contender in the mouther watering mezze board! There is much debate in Greece as to whether a Mezze board should be paired with wine, known as a ‘krasomezedes’, or paired with the aniseed flavoured spirit ouzo, known as ‘ouzomezdes’.
Whichever you choose, you’ll certainly be feeling like your in paradise when diving into those fresh breads, olives, rich tzatziki, and other artisanal produce while taking in the gorgeous views, even if it is from your computer screen at home…
Choosing A Greek Wine
If you’ve ever stayed at an all inclusive resort in Greece for your holibobs where the house wine on offer was a tasteless, flabby (when a wine lacks acidity) white or red wine then you might not be entirely convinced that Greece can produce great wine.
The problem with these wines is down to the grapes being grown on a low lying, sun-trap of a vineyard located inland where the grapes have no chance of reaching any satisfying level of acidity.
What you want if you’re hunting down the good stuff is a wine where the vineyard is at a higher altitude or closer to the sea. This way the grapes can achieve a higher acidity in that Mediterranean heat and leave you gagging for a nibble of that Mezze board.
The Best Greek Wine Regions
- Santorini – Not only famous for its stunning views but Santorini also produces some delicious wine from the volcanic soils that blanket the island. The most famous wine to note is Vin Santo, which translates to wine of Santorini and is a lusciously sweet and sticky desert wine, although this island also produces some great whites fromt he Assrytiko grape.
- Naoussa – This region is in Macedonia, in Northern Greece where the Xinamavro vines are planted at a high altitude to produce a wine with similarities to the Nebbiolo wines of Northern Italy. This was the first Greek wine region to be given its own appellation in 1971.
- Nemea – Known for its delicious red wines made from the Agiorgitiko grape variety, Nemea is a region found in southern Greece and is the largest appellation in the country. These reds can be light and even sweet, however the best examples are deep, rich, full-bodied reds.
Greece has far more hidden wine gems to discover and even better views, so the best thing to do if your interested in Greek wine is to get over there and get tasting!
Head in a Glass 