WELCOME TO GREEK WINES

Crete's wine culture stretches back over 4,000 years and is currently experiencing a fascinating renaissance. In this article, I'd like to offer a snapshot of some 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 right now. This is, mind you, not a systematic survey – more of a mosaic, assembled from the bottles that have lingered longest in my memory over the pa

Our systematic Xinomavro exploration: from Naoussa to Amyndeo and Rapsani, dozens of wines tasted, scored and compared.

The grey autumn fog has now well and truly replaced the late-summer sun. Let that be our cue today to turn to warming red wines from Greece. We will be looking at several Merlot wines we have tasted recently. (On this, see also last year's article (in German).) Mind you – this much we will reveal up front – these are by no means always alcohol bombs that set your chest ablaze … Greece has genuine variety to offer in that regard. ΡΟΕΣ 2020 / Ombre 2022 from Oinotropai Estate B

Recently, in the course of a late summer that reached into October, we had the pleasure of tasting three exceptional wines from Mikra Thira. This week the results of the “50 Great Greek Wines” competition were published, and all three of them were on the list. A good moment, then, to share our own impressions. The basics on the grape – taste, Santorini versus the mainland, food pairings – can be found in our big Assyrtiko guide. 1. Mikra Thira – Santorini Assyrtiko 2021 Produ

Syrah first gained wider recognition in Greece through the single-varietal wines from Ktima Carras in the early 1990s. Since then, after Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Syrah has been the most important international red grape variety in Greece – although many say that, climatically, it ought really to take precedence. Personally, I see this somewhat differently. In my view, Greece produces outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon (in German), Merlot with a unique character (above all L

The two main varieties one associates with Bordeaux wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) also turn up frequently in Greek cuvées, even if quite often a dash of Agiorgitiko is added too, to give the whole thing a more Mediterranean touch. Having recently given the Kokotos Estate 2017 96 points, after it edged out Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2017 by a nose in a blind tasting (in German), and after Greek reds from Bordeaux varieties performed outstandingly in our 2022 year-in-rev