During the course of the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference, we had the chance to attend several break-out tasting sessions. For one of the tasting sessions, I chose “The New Wines of Greece”, and it ended up being my favorite tasting event of the conference. I have tasted some of the more popular wines coming out of Greece in the past but never really had the chance to dig in to some of Greece’s more unique wines and regions.
During the session, we tasted through six difference Greek wines from six grapes and wine regions. Here are some of my tasting notes. Please note, we weren’t provided with brands for most of the wines as they varied from blogger to blogger (think Greek recession and limited wine supply).
New Wines of Greece Tasting
Robola of Cephalonia 2013
This dry white wine comes from the Island of Cephalonia. Robola generally makes a bright, refreshing wine and what we tasted fit the bill. Lots of citrus on the nose along with a palate filled with crisp fruit flavors and vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable.
Mantinia 2013
The grape variety Moschofilero we tasted came from the Mantinia/Peloponnese region of Greece. The wine featured lots of floral aromas that carried through into the palate. There were also tastes of citrus and stone fruit followed by a dry, refreshing finish.
Malagousia 2013
This was the most interesting wine of the tasting for me. The Malagousia grape we tasted from the Epanomi/Macedonia region produced an intriguing wine that really stood out from the rest. Apricots, peaches, and herbs with incredible texture. Definitely complex and something I want to drink again!
Santorini 2013
Wines from Santorini are probably some of the better known Greek wines in the US. We had Assyrtiko from Estate Argyros, which was the same wine poured for every blogger at the event. Fresh tastes of citrus and minerals with racy acidity. A really nice wine!
Nemea 2008
We broke into reds with Agiorgtiko from the Nemea/Peloponnese regions in Greece. The wine we tried was dry and medium-bodied with notes of herbs and red fruit. There were lingering tastes of sweet raisins on the finish. Worth uncorking again!
Naoussa 2011
Our final wine was Xinomavro from Naoussa/Macedonia. A super unique, dry red wine with structured tannins and notes of pepper, herbs, and dried fruit. Fairly elegant and best served a bit chilled! This grape variety generally has a lot of aging potential.
