The Indigenous Red Varieties

Greek reds show distinctly different flavors from the "noble" reds we westerners are used to drinking.

Agiorghitiko (ah yor YEE ti ko) Meaning St. George's, this variety is grown mainly in the AOC Nemea in the Peloponnese, producing a soft, sometimes fruity red in many styles. There are a number of quality leaders for this variety, including Gerovassiliou, Papantonis Winery, Gai'a Estate, and Skouras Estate with his Megas Oenos bottling in particular. Domaine Spiropoulos blends the variety with cabernet sauvignon and Merlot to produce a spicy, firm wine.

Xinomavro (xi NO ma vro) Meaning "acid black", this is the predominant grape variety in the Macedonia area, the northern grape growing part of Greece encompassing a number of separate regions. It shows superb aging potential with rich tannic character. Xinomavro is often compared to Nebbiolo with its great capacity for aging. Top producers of this grape include Ktima Kir Yianni (the newish--1997--winery of former Boutari partner Yianni Boutari and his talented sons; Boutari first planted this variety in 1960), the biodynamic Alpha Estate (which is also doing wonders blending Xinomavro with Merlot and Syrah), and Ktima Pavlidis, which also blends in other varieties.
The older, somewhat commercial firm of Boutari also makes excellent xinomavro, both clearly varietal and as a merlot-blended cuveé. Katogi-Strofilia produces a lovely blend of agiorghitiko and xinomavro, too. And Kir Yianni and Oenoforos together produced a terrific blend of xinomavro and cabernet sauvignon called Janos.

Mandelaria (mahn dee la RYA) is also known as amorgiano. It is mainly cultivated on the islands of Rhodes and Crete.
Wine from this grape is often very tannic and frequently blended with other grapes to soften the mouthfeel. Sigalas produces
a tasty and interesting dessert wine called Mezzo by semi-drying the grapes prior
to fermentation.

Mavrodaphne (ma vro THAF nee) Mavrodaphne, or "Black laurel", is found in the Peloponnese as well as the Ionian Islands. It is blended with the Korinthiaki grape to produce a fortified dessert wine also known as Mavrodaphne. Mercouri Estate produces a sweet mavrodaphne, as well as a blend of estate-grown refosco (an Italian variety) and mavrodaphne.

The refosco gives the wine its color and body while the mavrodaphne contributes the complexity of aroma. "Noble" Varieties Succeed as Well Among the modern white varieties, riesling, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc stand out. Oenoforos does particularly well with riesling, producing a minerally, round wine with a good backbone of acidity; its barrel-fermented chardonnay also shows beautifully. Alpha Estate in the north makes a concentrated, fresh sauvignon blanc, laced with a mineral thread throughout the wine. Biblia Chora’s blends of sauvignon blanc and assyrtico are particularly successful, as is its chardonnay.

And Skouras makes a viognier that sports strong acidity and good varietal character. In reds, there seems to be a lot of promise for blending the "noble" varieties with the indigenous ones as well as for stand-alone varietals. Domaine Tselepos in the Peloponnese makes a very fine merlot, which was a prize winner at a StarWine competition in Philadelphia; a modern, rich cabernet sauvignon; and a fruity, dense blend of the two. Mercouri Estate produces a delicious blend of the obscure avgoustiatis (meaning August-ripening) grape with mourvèdre; the resulting wine speaks more of the Rhone than anywhere else. Domaine Porto Carras makes a number of fine cabernet blends.

Syrah seems the new darling in Greece, just as it is in the United States. Such diversely-located producers as Oenoforos in the Peloponnese, Gentilini in Cephalonia, Alpha Estate and Gerovassiliou in the north and Porto Carras (administratively-based in Athens) have been seduced by syrah, all with very good results.