| |
By Doug Frost
for Hemispheres magazine, August 2006
The sunny Mediterranean is the birthplace of modern wine, and its easy climate nurtures great values, as well. For many, Spain rules the roost when it comes to great red wine values, but Greece may yet emerge as the country to watch for white wines at friendly prices.
At the moment, Moschofilero may be the only Greek white wine easily found in the marketplace. Its wild, floral character and rich texture offer a potential picnic wine vibrant enough to handle a wealth of foods: tabouli, gyros, pasta salads, or grilled chicken or fish. Santorini, named for its beautiful island origin and made from the Assyrtiko grape, is my favorite patio wine, at least this week.
Picnic or not, most Greek white wines are more aromatic and refreshing than heavy and serious. They seem ideal for simple, friendly events and perhaps for the front end of a meal. And they love fish every bit as much as the Greeks themselves.
The Assyrtiko grape prospers on the mainland as well as on Santorini. Producers there show the grape's clean, lemon-pear-peach notes; Pavlidis blends it with Sauvignon Blanc for a modern, more familiar character. Some of Greece's other white grapes, such as Athiri, Malagoussia, and Robolo, to name only a few, can be just as delicious.
Many of these grapes may seem esoteric. Indeed, at this point, they are. Greece has Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, just like every other country, but the indigenous and currently unknown grapes are the most exciting. The past is Greece's greatest strength for the future; many of these have been cultivated for 1,000 years or more.
No one expects Chardonnay to lose its popularity to a grape with a name like Tsaoussi (it's delicious, by the way), but the wine-consuming public seems increasingly interested in finding new wines, from new grapes and new places. No one expected Pinot Noir to explode; it didn't hurt that there was a movie about the wine. Maybe it's time for Hollywood to visit Greece and drink some of these ideal summer wines.
|