WHY GREEK WINE

"Greece is likely to be the next cult wine destination, with a vast array of indigenous grapes like Xinomavro and Assyrtiko that give the country a clear wine identity. And grapes are good, not merely different. International buyers picking wines like these from emerging regions can expect high quality, something different and good prices. One day these grapes, mostly bargains now, will not be so inexpensive, so take advantage while you can."
 

Mark Squires
Exclusive contributor for the wines of Greece for Robert Parker’s consumer newsletter, the Wine Advocate

"Santorini winemakers went on to create wines that compete with Grand Cru Burgundy in their complexity and finesse."
 

Tara Q. Thomas
Wines & Spirits magazine

"Many people forget how mountainous Greece is. Producers can make the most of cooler areas to make wines with elegance and individuality, from bone-dry to super-sweet whites and light to full-bodied reds. The quality and consistency of Greek wines has improved enormously and the range of indigenous varieties and great vineyard sites is truly impressive. Viticulture and subtle winemaking, along with less oak, have resulted in wines with greater finesse that reveal the region of origin and the grape varieties."
 

Julia Harding MW
Award-winning Master of Wine, writer and reviewer for www.jancisrobinson.com

 "Greek wines are food-friendly and seem a relatively easy sell for sommeliers, thanks to their original character."
 

Veronique Rivest
Canada based sommelier and wine columnist in Le Droit and CBC Radio in Ottawa

"These wines needed recognition: It is my duty as a sommelier to expose people to them because they have personality and speak of where they come from."
 

Michael Madrigale
New York City based Head Sommelier

"As more and better Greek wines arrive in American shops and restaurants, wine drinkers are learning to value their charms and even how to pronounce their names."
 

Lettie Teague
The Wall Street Journal

"Now Greece is in the throes of a second revolution, as talented young winemakers experiment with single-vineyard wines, special cuvees, even sparkling wines. The up-and-coming white grapes are Vidiano from Crete and red Mavrodaphne, which used to make only sweet wines. Of the country’s diverse wine regions, the one now having its New York moment is spare, white-washed Santorini, that Cycladic island so beloved by tourists. Its striking Assyrtiko wines, the best wines of Greece in my opinion, have captured many of New York City’s top sommeliers (like Michael Madrigale of Boulud Sud) with their lemony, mineral, summer-perfect freshness.”
 

Elin McCoy
Bloomberg.com

"The white wines of Greece with names like Moschofilero, Roditis and Assyrtiko sound a bit scary, like alien beings. But I think of them as the constituents of a parallel iniverse in which crowds of people embrace these wonderfully refreshing, intriguing whites, rather than defaulting to generic summer whites like Pinot Grigio."
 

Eric Asimov
The New York Times

 "Santorini Assyrtiko is one of the most singular and distinctive wines that exist. Santorini’s crisp minerality results from its terroir—one of the driest, most windswept volcanic landscapes in the world."
 

Jordan Mackay
Wine and spirits writer for San Francisco Magazine.

"In the past decade, Greece has built a newly respected name not on imported international grapes—although these are certainly grown—but on indigenous grapes. Some of them may well be able to trace their lineage back to Ancient Greece, the cradle of modern wine culture as we know it."
 

Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
The Concise World Atlas of Wines

"The new Greek wine revolution is only just now beginning and let's face it, this is the most exciting time for bona fide geeks; this time around, we get to play a role in the industry's rediscovery of the world's oldest wines."
 

Doug Frost, MS/MW
Wine consultant & writer, one of only four people in the world to hold both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine titles

"The grape used in Naoussa is the red variety Xinomavro. It produces wines of great complexity and depth which can age for many years. Greece offers a change of pace at an affordable price, a decidedly winning combination."
 

Susannah Gold
New York City-based sommelier and wine expert

 "Santorini Assyrtikos have depth, power and high acidity. They hold up well to food and they are awfully good seafood and shellfish matchups. They are sometimes crisp and steely enough when young that I’ve often found it useful to decant the powerful, young ones. Assyrtiko is one of Greece’s claims to fame and it reaches its peak on Santorini. These are well worth exploring. In sum, find your chair. Find your porch. Get a corkscrew. Sip the summer evening away. If every now and then, while tasting one of those crisp, transparent whites you begin to see deep blue seas, you’re not alone."
 

Mark Squires Wine reviewer at erobertparker.com

"The wines of Nemea look clearly set to lead Greece’s export drive, having already won over discerning palates around the world. It’s somehow only fitting that a local vine from this ancient land should yield the juice to take Greece into the 21st century. Huddled on the steps of this ancient temple, we reflect on Greek wine’s glorious past, present and future as we sip a goblet of the new blood of Nemea under the watchful eye of the lion itself, forever immortalized in the stars as the constellation Leo."
 

John Szabo MS
Canada based Master Sommelier, wine educator and consultant

"What is particularly thrilling is the fact that the Greek wine industry is so ancient. It is quite possible that some of the vine varieties grown today are the same as those experienced by participants in classical symposia and Dionysian revels. Santorini's Assyrtiko, Roditis and Savatiano are widely planted varieties for white wines and Agiorgitiko, Mavrodaphne, Xynomavro and, to a lesser extent, Limnio are some of the better-known dark-skinned grapes. Among wines that attest to Greece’s ability to make well-balanced but truly interesting reds too are firm and oak-aged Naoussa made from Xinomavro in the far north, intensely perfumed Agiorgitiko grown at Nemea on the east coast of the Peloponnese."
 

Jancis Robinson MW
British wine critic, journalist, editor, wine writer at the Financial Times and advisor for Queen Elizabeth II's wine cellar.

"Learning about Dionysus, the god of wine, celebration and fertility, influenced my decision to study wine. […] One simply needs to look at a map of Greece with its islands, mountains, and proximity to the Aegean and Ionian Seas of the Mediterranean. While some of Greece’s climate is considered Mediterranean, the mountain regions enjoy a more typically Continental climate with lots of sunshine, mild winters, dry summers and cool evenings. The volcanic soils on some of the islands make a very different style of wine depending on whether the vineyards are on flatlands or on steep mountain slopes. There is a tremendous diversity in the wine regions of Greece. Now is the defining time for the ‘New Greece’ wines."
 

Kevin Zrally
American wine educator and founder of the Windows on the World Wine School. He has been described as America's most famous and entertaining wine teacher

"With over 350 indigenous varieties that are not genetically linked to any other varietals in the world, the wines of Greece are truly unique. While Greek wines are distinct and not directly comparable, this forum gave people a side-by-side comparison with other more popular international varietals, so if someone liked some of the characteristics of ‘X popular varietal’, then they might also enjoy a glass of ‘Y Greek varietal’."
 

Christine Berenger
UK based wine writer and educator

"Ten years ago if you were having a Greek wine, you were probably in a Greek restaurant. Now, if you’re in a restaurant without a Greek wine on the list, you’ll know that they just don’t get it."
 

Steve Olson
US based wine educator and consultant