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By Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW and Ed McCarthy
for Nation's Restaurant News, March 2005
It seems to be the height of irony that Greece, one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world, was not known for producing world-class wines until recently. Greeks traded their wines throughout the known world well before the birth of Christ and planted vines in the first colonies in what is now Italy nearly 4,000 years ago.
But the last 2,000 years have not treated Greece so well. Situated in one of the world's great crossroads, Greece fell prey to conquerors over the centuries, including the Turks, who suppressed wine production for more than 400 years. In the 20th century economic depression, phylloxera and wars - including a civil war in the 1980s - all hindered the development of a modern wine industry.
On WineAnother handicap that Greece only recently has overcome is the traditional wine called Retsina, made by adding pine resin to white wine as a preservative. Although Greeks and Greek immigrants throughout the world are accustomed to the taste of Retsina, it was often unpalatable to the uninitiated. Today the Greeks sell Retsina mainly just at home and in ethnic export markets.
One reason for the recent improvement in Greek wines is the Greeks' traditional respect for education. A very high percentage of Greek winemakers and oenologists have studied in the best wine schools around the world - including Bordeaux and Dijon in France and U.C. Davis in California. A visit to Greece was a revelation. There was no expectation to find such a high percentage of well-made, moderately priced wines.
Greece now ranks 13th in the world in wine production, just behind Chile; that is rather extraordinary for a country smaller than the state of Georgia. But Greece has the natural endowments for wine production: a variable, temperate climate; lots of mountains and hillsides; and a variety of soils, including volcanic soils on the islands.
Greece is mainly mountainous. Its climate range enables delicate white wines from the indigenous aromatic variety, Moschofilero, as well as full-bodied reds from the native Xinomavro grape and delicious dessert wines from Muscat on the islands, such as Samos and Rhodes.
Sixty percent of Greece's wines are white, but red-wine production is catching up and soon will make up half of Greek wines. A small number of excellent dry rosés also exist.
Although grapes grow all over Greece, three regions stand out:
- Macedonia, in northernmost Greece, with mountainous terrain and cool climates.
- The Peloponnese, the large peninsula that is the southwestern Greek mainland; its three most important wine districts are Nemea, Mantinia and Patras.
- The Islands; many Greek islands produce wine, but the two most important are Crete and the volcanic Santorini.
Although Greece does produce wines from popular international varieties, such as Chardonnay and Syrah, its real strength is its treasured assortment of more than 300 indigenous varieties, a number that only Italy can rival. Most of Greece's most distinctive wines are from native grapes. Of those, four white varieties and two reds stand out. Wines from those varieties - either varietals or regionally named wines - are all available in the United States.
Assyrtiko is Greece's most important and, many believe, its finest indigenous white variety. Assyrtiko grows predominantly on Santorini and neighboring islands but can be found throughout Greece. A high-acid variety, it makes bone-dry wines with citrusy aromas and earthy, mineral flavors.
Malagousia is an almost-forgotten aromatic white variety that was isolated and propagated by Evangelos Gerovassilou, one of Greece's finest winemakers. Found primarily in Macedonia and western Greece, it makes viscous, well-structured wines with distinctive aromas and flavors of lime, mint and exotic fruits.
Moschofilero is a very aromatic, cool-climate, pink-skinned variety that thrives in the central, mountainous Peloponnese region, around Mantinia. It makes light-bodied wines, usually around 11-percent alcohol, with aromas of apricots and peaches - similar to Viognier wines but less viscous. It also makes a delicious, dry rosé. Moschofilero wines are a good introduction to Greek wines.
Roditis, another pink-skinned variety, grows throughout the Greek mainland but is best in the northwestern Peloponnese, around Patras. Roditis produces elegant, food-friendly, light-bodied white wines with citrusy aromas.
Among red varieties, Agiorghitiko, or Saint George, is the most prevalent. It grows throughout mainland Greece but is best around its home turf, the district of Nemea in the Peloponnese. Agiorghitiko-based wines boast complex aromas of plums, black currants and velvety tannins.
Xinomavro is the dominant red variety in Macedonia. It produces highly tannic, highly acidic wines with great aging potential. Wines made from Xinomavro have complex fruity and spicy aromas, often reminiscent of dried tomatoes, olives and berries.
Finally, the wines of Greece must join the portfolio of the world's great wines.
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