There is no longer any denying the high quality and range of options now available on the Greek wine scene. Here’s a list of some of the bottles we will be uncorking this summer, all available on a 12 euro budget.
Rosé
INIMA Negoska rosé by Katogi Averoff (€11.98)
For me this wine is tied inextricably to Metsovo and the Katogi Hotel, and proprietors Alexandros Ioannou and Maria Kapou. It has the scent of friendship and the taste of hospitality, a special personality, rich and piquant, fruity with notes of vanilla, perfect to enjoy ice cold on a summer evening. It goes well with everything.
A Muse by Ktima Mouson (€12.30)
When the Boeotian Mouchtaro variety sidled up to cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc, it gave us an amazing rosé. A soft, peachy translucent color, fruit on the nose and on the palate, with nice acidity. A wine made for flirting! Drink as an aperitif, with cool salads, an amuse bouche, or soft white cheeses.
White
Moschato Spinas by Ktima Paterianaki (€11.30)
A superb organic wine which perfectly showcases the strengths of dry muscat varieties in Greece. Exotic aromas, flowers and peaches, the ideal accompaniment to salads, seafood and fried fish.
Aspri Petra by Ktima Stergiou (€11.80)
Two aromatic giants, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, from the refined vintners of Kastoria, blended into an explosively enjoyable wine for summer and beyond!
Ou Syra Serfiotiko (€12)
A Scotsman in Syra meets a local variety and a Greek oenologist, Christos Zoumboulis. Together they create a Cycladic wine, aromatic with a nice finish, perfect with moules marinière and pommes frites.
Red
Limnio 2017 by Ktima Vourvoukeli (€12)
Even if you can only find it at a higher price (one or two euros extra), do try this bottle from Ktima Vourvoukeli. The oldest Greek variety in the hands of the accomplished Avdira producers is a full bodied but youthful wine bursting with peppers, cherries and plums. Perfect for a summer BBQ!
This article was previously published in Greek by “K” Magazine.