THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: GREECE
I’m always amazed when I talk about wines from Greece and people look at me cross-eyed and ask, “Greece makes WINE???!?”
Greece actually makes phenomenal wine, and a lot of it is fairly affordable. If you like crisp, dry, white wines and haven’t had Assyrtiko…. First of all, HAVE ONE. Second of all, make sure Assyrtiko is in your dry white wine repertoire, especially during the raging hot Summer months. Put that s**t in your rotation — I swear you’ll thank me later.
It kind of makes sense that Greece would produce such amazing wines. Wine is central to the ancient mythology over there. I mean think about it… In ancient times, they actually had a GOD devoted to wine. Dionysus. Dionysus wasn’t only devoted to wine — he was also devoted to theatre and having a good time. That’s a kind of god I could get behind. Anyway, let’s get started.
Greek Wine History 101
Greece has over 6,500 years of winemaking history. Archaeologists have found evidence of winemaking equipment dating back to around 3000 BC.
Back in the day, it was not uncommon to see grapevines and olives being grown next to one another. And it was said Greek Wine was highly sought after in Rome.
You may think because of the god Dionysus, there was a heavy drinking culture in Greece and in some aspects that was the case. But not in the way you’d expect. Wine was simply meant to be enjoyed for what it was, and if you got drunk you were considered a barbarian. This is why in the ancient times, wine was diluted with water.
In the modern era, Greek wine production had a long hard road to get to where it is today.
In the Middle Ages, Greece was part of the Byzantium Empire, and wine was only made by monks for religious reasons. (Though I’m sure those Monks were enjoying that wine — I know I would.)
Later, Greece would become a part of the Ottoman Empire which was heavily Christian. Though winemaking wasn’t formally, “forbidden” per-se, Turkey taxed Greek Wine fairly heavily, making wine production that much harder.
At that time other regions in Europe - cough cough Bordeaux cough cough Burgundy cough cough — became the leaders and innovators in terms of fine wine production. Nobility got involved with winemaking, they put a lot of money into their facilities, and thus the French wine regions became the gold standard of wine production. In Greece, wine was more of an every day beverage, and wine was made for practicality’s sake.
Things took a turn for the worse when phylloxera - a winemaker’s worst enemy - took hold of the vines in Greece, stagnating their wine production.
Phylloxera is a nasty parasitic wood louse that feeds on vitis viinifera vines and kills them. If you’re wondering what vitis vinifera vines are, those are the grapevines that produce wine. There was a MASSIVE phylloxera epidemic at the turn of the 19th Century that nearly eliminated wine production, and it was felt all over the world.
After phylloxera, the Greeks had to experience World War I and World War II, followed by their own Civil War. It wasn’t until the mid 1980s that the region began to make the changes and have its own renaissance.
Now Greece produces some of the more exciting wines, in my humble opinion.
THE GREEK WINE REGIONS
Let me preface this with the fact Greece has a bunch of different wine regions and in terms of climate is super diverse. In terms of regions, it is very complicated and there’s a lot to learn. Consider this a general guide and if you want me to explore Greek wine more in depth, comment below!
The majority of the wines that come out of Greece - 70% of production to be exact - are white wines. The 30% of red wines typically come from the North. To simplify things, we are going to break Greece into 4 parts.
NORTH -
MACEDONIA, EPIRUS, THRACE
If you think all of Greece is a bunch of sandy beaches and colorful buildings — you’re wrong! Northern Greece is proof of that.
Northern Greece is significantly cooler than its more Southern counterparts. Here, you can see pristine snowy mountain ranges, pine trees, and areas with a lot of wind and rain.
If you love your red wines, Northern Greece is a region that will make you very happy. In this particular region, specifically in a place called Naoussa, one can find intense, deep, structured red varietals like Xinomavro.
Xinomavro translates to, “acid black,” because it’s extremely structured and powerful. If you love a good Italian Barolo, you’re probably going to want to pick up some wines from Northern Greece.
CENTRAL
ATTICA, THESSALY
In ancient Greek mythology, Thessaly is famously known as the land of Centaurs. You probably won’t find any Centaurs if you go over there these days, but you will find a lot of different wines.
The climate in Central Greece is cooler toward the North and gets warmer the further South you go. It is a lot drier than Northern Greece, with a lot less rainfall.
A good rule of thumb to have with Greece is the further North you go, the more Red Wines you’ll find. Expect to find grapes like Krasato and Stavroto. As you go down South where it gets warmer, expect to see way more white varietals like Assyrtiko and Restina.
With all that in mind, Greek winemakers do plant international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. They blend them with the indigenous varietals - there are over 300 of them - resulting in some really interesting wines.
SOUTH
CRETE, PELOPONNESE, KEFALONIA
Southern Greece is hot. The climate is mediterranean, and winters are very mild. Southern Greece does have its fair share of wind, however. The Peloponnese is the highest wine producing region in all of Greece and is home to a variety of different grapes.
In the Peloponnese, one can find the very popular red varietal, Agiorgitiko. There are also other red varietals like Mavrodaphne. In terms of international red varietals, you can find Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon here.
The Peloponnese is also home to a lot of white wines, including Robola - a grape related to the Italian varietal Ribolla Giala - Muscat Blanc, and Roditis.
ISLANDS
SANTORINI… BABY
Whenever I think of Greece, my mind automatically goes to Santorini. There are plenty of other Island regions in Greece, but I wanted to focus on Santorini.
First of all, Santorini is a dormant and active volcano. So you can imagine the soil is — well — volcanic. Over here, it is known as, “aspa.” I’m going to talk about another volcanic region I love in a couple of weeks - the Etna DOC in Southern Italy. To me, these regions both have their fare share of similarities. For one, the white wines that are made in both places are known for their uniquely mineral driven qualities. And, Santorini - like Etna - also has pre-phylloxera vines. This means it’s one of the few special places that has vines that escaped that nasty little wood louse.
Why, you ask?
Well, it’s all about that volcanic soil. That aspa. Volcanic soil is highly resistant to that pesky little wood louse, so Santorini is a place where some of the grapevines were spared.
Santorini also, interestingly enough, has an Italian influence. It was during the Middle Ages when their wines became famous because of the influence of the Venetians. Santorini still makes a wine called, “visanto,” that is modeled after the Tuscan style of sweet wine called “Vin Santo.”
In Santorini, expect to find Assyrtiko a plenty, followed by other white grapes like Athiri and Aidani.
And now, speaking of Assyrtiko…. Let’s get to the:
PICK OF THE WEEK: HERMES ASSYRTIKO FROM TOTAL WINE $11.99
Kay… First of all… Imma apologize for this image. The wine was so good, and so got damn drinkable my partner and I drank it all and forgot to get a good photo.
Let me explain something to you first. One of the reasons I picked a Greek wine from a place like Total Wine is because I wanted to prove a point. And that point is?
Greek wine is not that hard to find. It’s inexpensive for the most part, and it’s freaking delicious.
I feel like sometimes people shy away from interesting regions like Greece because they think only obscure, weird, borderline pretentious wineshops will carry wines from such regions. This is simply not the case. But back to this wine!
If you like minerally, citrusy, wines that taste like passionfruit salt foam, honeyed beeswax, and mint, then PAY ATTENTION.
The Hermes Assyrtiko from the Peloponnese portion of Central Greece is an inexpensive, easy-drinking, dynamic little wine that is a great value coming in at $11.99. People who vibe with Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, and Picpoul will fall in love with this zesty little beauty.
Being a San Diegan, I love fish tacos and am always looking for excellent wines to pair with them. You can imagine how happy I was when had it with this wine. For those of you who have Mexican food with Corona and Lime or Margaritas – why not step outside your comfort zone and try pairing it with a glass of Assyrtiko? That racing acidity cuts through fattier dishes like Carnitas Tacos and Queso. Not to mention, the salenity – salty – qualities really complement tortilla chips.
If you really want to do this right, have it with some Ceviche. You’ll thank me later.
So Assyrtiko — Bae or nah? What are your thoughts?