Greece and Cyprus 2008

							Greece and Cyprus 2008

Like many emerging regions, Greece actually has long established wines and
wine traditions, even ignoring antiquity. To take one example, the Achaia Clauss
winery was famous for the Port-like Mavrodaphne in the 19th Century and still is
today. Yet Greece, like other emerging regions, has only made an impact on the
international wine scene recently--a decade or less with many wineries, a
generation or less for many others.

Greek winemakers have carved out a niche for themselves with indigenous
varieties like Xinomavro (see, almost “skee”-NO-mah-vro), Agiorgitiko (ay-yor-
YEE-tee-ko), both red; Assyrtiko (uh-SEER-ti-ko), Moschofilero (Mos-ko-FEEL-
er-o)(both white); and Mavrodaphne (usually used for Port-like dessert wines).
Although you will certainly find winemakers effectively using international grapes,
the local varieties have their own personalities and offer new flavors. Warning:
transliteration from Greek is tricky and alternative spellings are common. You
generally see Assyrtiko, Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko, for instance. While those are
more or less standard, it sometimes it seems like anything goes and you will also
see Xynomavro, Aghiorgitiko, Asirtiko, and Asyrtico. There is some talk of the
need to standardize spellings. For the moment, I generally use whatever is on
the label to avoid consumer confusion.

Greece is still working on matching terroir to grapes in some places, but in others
there are strong associations already established. For instance, Santorini is
Assyrtiko territory, Nemea is associated with Agiorgitiko, Naoussa with
Xinomavro and Mantinia with Moschofilero. The indigenous varieties are often
polar opposites, giving Greece diverse as well as unique offerings. For instance,
the Moschofilero wines were generally charming, elegant and delicate, perfect
Summer wines, perhaps a competitor to Vinho Verde. Assyrtiko, on the other
hand, can be a powerful white wine that can age. Santorini producers like
Sigalas and Gai’a work with their pre-phylloxera vineyards to produce crisp,
steely and interesting whites. Think Chablis crossed with Trocken Riesling. In
other versions, Assyrtiko can project fine depth and a friendlier, more gentle feel.

For reds, Agiorgitiko is often fruity and bursting with flavor, a tasty, crowd-
pleasing wine that is hard to resist. In the hands of good producers like Gai’a or
Skouras, the bottlings also have structure and become more than a simple, fruity
little wine. Complexity, to be sure, is not the main virtue here. The best of them
are simply delicious. It is a grape that combines the approachability of Merlot and
Gamay with the intensity of flavor that you get in grapes like Pinot Noir and
Cabernet Sauvignon. At the other extreme, Xinomavro produces powerful and
intense wines with lots of acidity and tannin. It is a difficult grape that can
produce rustic wines that remind me of old style Nebbiolo, complex, a little hard
edged and ageworthy. To be sure, some producers, like Alpha Estate, are
working hard to make a more modern Xinomavro. This relatively soft, more
approachable style may surprise some who are used to the more backward and
traditional versions. Sometimes, in fact, I feared that the grape would lose its
distinctive qualities.

Many of the local grapes are, to be sure, average at best; it is not likely that
Aidani will make truly distinguished wines. At the least, winemakers need to
make their case for the lesser varieties.

The Greek whites in general are probably ahead of the Greek reds qualitatively.
The whites are routinely charming even when not particularly profound. The best
of them, usually from Assyrtiko, are among Greece's best wines. The Greek reds
are more erratic. They can sometimes pile on the tannins without sufficient mid-
palate concentration to provide balance. Others are simply light and pleasing
quaffers that age quickly and are a bit simple. Still others have high price tags
while doing little to justify them. There is another level, though. The best are quite
interesting and will surprise consumers willing to experiment.

The most pleasant surprise is Greece's secret weapon-- the dessert wine
category. There are the charming and usually very inexpensive Beaumes de
Venise style Muscats that are often steals; stunning Vinsantos that can age; and
aromatic Mavrodaphnes, among others. They are as a group a pleasure to drink.
The best are simply exceptional wines. Try the 1974 Vinsanto from Argyros, for
instance or the 1999 Muscato “Anthemis” from the Samos Cooperative.

It is hard to believe, but emerging regions that have had little impact on the wine
world are forcing consumers to pay attention to a completely different part of the
world. A wine epicenter that includes countries like Greece, Israel and Lebanon
might look familiar to someone a couple of thousand years old, but it is certainly
a new part of the wine world for the rest of us.

                                                                        —Mark Squires