Although many of us may think of Retsina when it comes to Greek wine, there's been an upsurge of interest in producing more conventional styles of wine, from dry whites and reds to super-luscious sweet wines.
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Location
Mainland Greece, along with the Ionian and Aegean Islands.
Grapes
- Red: Agiorgítiko, Mavrodáfni
and Xynómavro
- White: Savatiano, Muscat, Asyrtiko, Vilana,
Robola, Roditis and Moschofilero
Look Out For
- Agiorgítiko grape: From
the Peloponnese, gives dry and sweet red wines rich in colour
and very fruity.
- Muscat grape: From Samos, yielding highly aromatic
dry to sweet wines.
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The table below defines the major Greek wine regions:
| Region |
Area |
Grape Variety |
Wine |
| Northern Greece - Macedonia |
Naoussa |
Xynomavro |
Dry, red |
| Goumenissa |
Xynomavro, Negoska |
Dry, red |
| Amyntaion |
Xynomavro |
Dry red, dry rose and sparkling rose |
| Central Greece - Epiros, Thessalia |
Zitsa - Epiros |
Debina |
Lightly sparkling white, dry or medium dry |
| Rapsani - Thessalia |
Xynomavro, Krasato and Stavroto |
Dry, red |
| Ankhialos - Thessalia |
Rhoditis, Savatiano |
Dry, white |
| Peloponnese |
Nemea |
Agiorgitiko |
Dry, red |
| Patra |
Mavrodáfni, blended with Korinthiaki |
Sweet, red |
| Rhoditis |
Dry, white |
| Mantinia |
Moschofilero |
Dry, white |
| Ionian Islands |
Cephalonia |
Robola |
Dry, white |
| Muscat, Mavrodáfni |
Sweet, red |
| Aegean Islands |
Lemnos |
Muscat of Alexandria |
Sweet or dry white |
| Samos |
Muscat |
Dry, white |
| Paros |
Mandelaria, Monemvassia |
Dry, red |
| Santorini |
Asyrtiko blended with Athiri and Aedani |
Dry, white |
| Rhodes |
Athiri |
Dry, white |
| Mandelaria |
Dry, red |
| Crete |
Kotsifali, Mandelaria, Liatiko |
Dry, red |
| Vilano |
Dry, white |
The whites are green and tangy, with a crisp lemony flavour and good acidity and weight, though Moschofilero is aromatic and Muscat is usually sweet. The reds are spicy, sometimes herby, full-bodied and assertive.
Red Wine
Of the Greek red cultivars, two (Agiorgítiko and Xynómavro), account for the majority of bottled wine production. Mavrodáfni (also known as Mavrodaphne) is used to produce fortified sweet wines, which are highly valued within and outside of Greece for nearly 150 years.
There are approximately another twenty grape varieties, which are use to produce both blends and varietal wines. Some of these are just now coming into their own; others have long and noble traditions.
White Wine
White wine production in Greece is spread more evenly over a wide range of grape species. The big names in white grapes in Greece include Savatiano (traditionally associated with Retsina), Asyrtiko (Assyrtico) and Vilana, from Crete. Moschofilero (also known as Moscofilero) is native to the Peloponessos and believed to be related to Traminer.
The most famous white cultivar however, is the White Muscat, best known for its role in wines from Samos.
An additional 15 or so grape varieties go towards producing the remaining white wines, most of which are fairly distinct and create unique varietal or blended wines.
Retsina
Well known to tourists who've visited the Greek islands, Retsina is a white or rose wine, flavoured with pine pitch. This seemingly strange practice has its roots in ancient history. The earliest winemakers often treated clay vessels with pine pitch in order to store wine, and the flavour of pine pitch became accepted over time as a fundamental component of wine.
When glass bottles came into use, pine pitch became unnecessary for storage, but its use continued as a flavouring agent. Not coincidentally, Retsina goes well with Greek food.
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