Merlot has a tough time. The grape variety that produces some of the world's most expensive wines in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion struggles elsewhere with a reputation for making pleasant rather than great wine. Since the film Sideways  (2004) at the latest, it has had an image problem – at least in the minds of those who let cinema dictate their wine preferences. I, for one, like the film – but I also like the grape.   In this article, I want to shine a spotlight on the 2021 vi

Skouras Megas Oenos 2019 in a blind tasting against five Bordeaux renowned for their value. Who wins? There are wines you drink more out of respect for their history than out of genuine excitement. Skouras Megas Oenos has long been one of those for me. For years it served as the unofficial ambassador of Greek wine – proof that Greece could produce serious, internationally competitive reds, not just Retsina. The story is well known and often told: George Skouras, trained in Di

Crete's wine culture stretches back over 4,000 years and is currently experiencing a fascinating renaissance. In what follows, I'd like to offer a snapshot overview of some of the developments as I see them. I'll do so by pointing to wines I've had in my glass recently — wines that, taken together, paint a picture of where Cretan wine stands for me right now. This is, mind you, not a systematic survey — more of a mosaic, assembled from the bottles that have stayed with me mos

For the year 2024, we set out to systematically explore Xinomavro, one of Greece's most noble grape varieties. Over the course of the year,