Για μια πολύ συγκεκριμένη ήμερα για την Ελληνίδα φίλη μου, ήθελα να ανοίξω το κατάλληλο κρασί να κάνω μια πρόποση στην υγειά της. Για το σκοπό αυτό είχα μια φιάλη κόκκινο κρασί από την Πελοπόννησο, το οποίο, όπως και η φίλη μου, τα έχει τα χρονάκια του. ;=) .

Το 2001 Δαβαις του κτήματος Νικηφόρου παρουσιάζει στο ποτήρι έντονο και κομψό χρώμα. Δυστυχώς, δεν ξέρω από ποια ποικιλία σταφυλιού γίνεται αυτό το κρασί, αλλά υποθέτω πως περιέχει λίγο Αγιωργίτικο, γιατί είναι συχνό σταφύλι στην Πελοπόννησο.

Στη μύτη έχει έντονο άρωμα φρούτων με μαύρη κορινθιακή σταφίδα και λίγη πάπρικα που θυμίζει το είδος cabernet sauvignon. Επίσης έχει μια μικρή νότα βανίλιας που διατηρεί την κατάλληλη δόση από το άρωμα του ξύλου του βαρελιού.
Όσον αφορά τη γεύση η τανίνη είναι πολύ καλά και ομαλά επεξεργασμένη, χαρίζοντας έτσι στο κρασί μια φίνα δομή. Είναι ισορροπημένο και αφήνει μια υπέροχη γεύση που διαρκεί.

Να τον συνοψίζει με λίγες λέξεις, αυτό το κρασί ωρίμασε ωραία, σαν εσένα, αγαπητή Φαίη ;) Αν και εσύ είσαι πιο μεγάλη.. (αλλά όχι, εσύ είσαι πολύ πιό νέα και δροσερή απ' ότι ένα μπουκάλι κρασί 7 χρόνων ;) )

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This red wine from the Peloponnese is probably the oldest Greek wine I ever tried. Although 7 years isn’t quite much of an age, I was still curious how it developed; I know of course about the rising quality of Greek wines, but do they already have ageing potential? (Well, that’s nearly a rhetoric question actually) This wine could give an indication.

Unfortunately, I know nothing about the winery and couldn’t tell with certainty which varietals are used in this wine. I can only suppose that since it is one of the main red grapes of the Peloponnese, some Agiorgitiko could have found its way into this wine.

The colour is dark and elegant. The nose has a nice, not to overwhelming black currant perfume, with a slight paprika edge, which actually reminds a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. Also a slight vanilla tone informs us about well-measured barrel ageing. On the palate it had very fine grained tannins, very smooth and elegant, yet perfectly structuring the wine by adding creaminess and texture. The same black currant aromas appear within this frame and create a perfectly balanced entity. Of course it is followed by a nice and long finish.

To sum it up, this wine has aged well, and could compete with many aged Bordeaux for example - The fruit is still there, tannins have mellowed and the whole wine has gained complexity.

More Greek wines please…

Αυτο ειναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντικο αρθρο για μενα γιατι ειναι το προτιμο που γραφω στα ελλινικα. Πρέπει να προειδοποιήσω οι Έλληνες
που διαβάζουν αυτό ότι έχω μόνο την πολύ βασική γνώση της γλώσσας.
Ο λόγος που προσπαθώ να γράψω στα ελληνικά είναι να τιμηθεί και να ευχαριστηθεί η φιλη μου Faye που μου παρουσίασε Ελλάδα και με πήρε στα κτήματα κρασιού καθώς επίσης και για να παρουσιάζει σεβασμό στη θαυμάσια καλά αυξανόμενη σκηνή κρασιού της Ελλάδας.

Το μπουκάλι που άνοιξα να αναθυμιέμαι την ανακάλυψη ελληνικών κρασιών μου είναι το 2003 Νεμεα από το πολυ σύγχρονο κτήμα Nicolas Repanis. Είναι ένα μπουκάλι που έχω επαναφέρει από την Ελλάδα στη Γερμανία για το άνοιγμα σε μια ειδική στιγμή. Τώρα από το καλοκαίρι δεν θα αρχίσει πραγματικά στη Γερμανία, αισθάνθηκα ότι θα ήταν σωστό να ανοιχτεί ένα μπουκάλι που θα μας έφερνε το καλοκαίρι της Ελλάδας.

Γίνεται από το τοπικη σταφύλι Agiorgitiko και αυξάνεται στο λοφώδες τοπίο Νεμεα στα ύψη μεταξύ 300 και 400 μέτρων. Αυτή η ποικιλία είναι μια που αντιπροσωπεύει για την δυνατη ανάπτυξη στην τελευταία δεκαετία στην Ελλάδα. Είναι καλά κατάλληλο για τους διεθνείς ουρανίσκους δεδομένου ότι είναι συγκρίσιμο στο ύφος με το merlot, αλλά έχει τη δυνατότητα να μεταφέρει και να απεικονίσει το ελληνικούς χαρακτήρα. Στην πραγματικότητα οι λόφοι Της Νεμεα θεωρούνται μια ιδανική θέση για την ποικιλία όπου τα φρούτα και η οξύτητα βρίσκουν ισορροπία

Το κρασί έχει ένα κομψό κόκκινο έως πορφυρό χρώμα. Στη μύτη τα αρωοματα του ειναι εντονα και θυμιζουν κόκκινων και μαύρων φρούτων. Μια νότα βανίλιας επιβεβαιωνοντας τα 12 μήνας που το κρασι έχει ωριμάσει
στα νέα δρύινο βαρέλια. Αλλά δεν είναι πάρα πολύ δρύινο, αρκετά ακριβώς να του δώσει μια αριστοκρατική αφή.Στον ουρανίσκο κάποιος χτυπιέται από την πολύ καλή δομή του. είναι ομαλό ως μετάξι αλλά συγχρόνως ειναι αρκετά πυκνό και ισχυρός. Τα φρούτα παρουσιάζεται έντονα πάλι και ισορροπούνται από μια ακριβή οξύτητα που δεν θα μπορούσε να υπολογιστεί δόση καλύτερα. Την επιγευση του ειναι μακριά και αφήνει ένα συναίσθημα της ικανοποίησης. Είναι αξιοσημείωτο ότι παρά το οινόπνευμα 13% το κρασί δεν φαινεται αφύσικο.
Συνολικά ηταν μάλλον ένα καλοψημένο κομψό κόκκινο που με παρουσίασε άλλη μια φορά ότι η Ελλάδα έχει πάρει το σωστό δρόμο και αρχίζει να είναι η επόμενη μεγάλη τάση στον κόσμο κρασιού.

Κοιτάζω προς τα εμπρός για να δοκιμάσω πολύ περισσότερο αυτών των ελληνικών κρασιών



PS: I hope it wasn't too bad Greek there. I really have big doubts concerning most of my sentences. Αχ αχ αχ...

The Papaioannou (Παπαϊωάννου) Estate in the Nemea wine region of Peloponese exists since 1876 and is today one of the most respected wineries in Greece. It is reknown for its efforts to reconcile vines and soil, introducing the Terroir-thinking in Greece. It is also known for initiating biological winemaking in the country. The winery focuses on Greek Indigenous varieties like Agiorgitiko and Assyrtiko but also cultivates international varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Their most rewarded, thus most popular wines are made of Greek varieties though.
During our roadtrip through Nemea region we passed by Papaioannou estate but didn’t stop there. Instead I bought a bottle of Papaioannou Sauvignon Blanc (named “Aristocracy”) in a wine shop in Nemea and took it back home. After it rested some months in the fridge I thought it would be nice to taste a cool Sauvignon for savouring the last days of sunshine. And concerning Sauvignon Blanc, I have a special idea of how it must taste (or could taste depending on the region) - so I was pretty curious of how a Greek Sauvignon Blanc will taste.
Oh! Actually this wine isn’t 100% Sauvignon since there is some 15 % Malagousia, an indigenous variety known to be very aromatic with medium acidity. Anyhow, I poured a glass.
The colour is a light, cool yellow. The nose is extremely intense, with smell of white blossoms, honey, some herbs and maybe a hint of anise. After catching this very fragrant and flowery nose, one would take it as an indicator for a palate which is very much alike, with a fruity body. But the contrast between the nose and the taste couldn’t be bigger: on the palate, this wine appears bone-dry. No flowery touch, no hint of honey - just a mineral note and a crisp acidity.
I instantly felt betrayed by the nose. And my conclusion also came more than rapidly: this wine isn’t made to be drunk alone. It’s not a genius soloist but rather a team player. This wine needs food in order to taste pleasant. And not any kind of food but hot and spicy food, like Asian Food for example. The strong taste of Asian dishes might smooth out a bit the dryness and the acidity might become quite refreshing combined with some hot chilli.
But actually I doubt that my thesis I right because I have to admit that all in all I think that this is not my kind of wine. And I don’t think that I am someone who only likes perfectly balanced wines. But here the contrast is too immense. I would love to hear the opinion of someone who is into bone-dry wines though. Will he or she bear the honey-sweet and flowery nose?
In the end I’d like to mention again that this isn’t the only Papaioannou wine and for sure not one of their most popular. When I have the occasion I’d love to try their Agiorgitiko reds and Assyrtiko whites. I’m sure they’ll satisfy me more

Chateau Lazaridi is located in Drama, a region in the Northern Greek part Makedonia where winemaking exists for some 5000 years. Nevertheless the brothers Nikos and Kostas Lazaridis have built in the late 1980’s a winery which stands for the renewal of winemaking in the Drama area; The Turkish occupation in the 19th century, the Balkan wars, Phyloxera and the second world war have nearly ruled out winemaking of this traditional region until then.
Today, Chateau Lazaridi is one of the most famous wineries in Greece and its omnipresence in supermarkets reminds the industrial character of some Californian producers. This Omnipresence however shouldn’t make one sceptical. Most of the wines are setting new standards in Greek winemaking and help erasing Greece’s image of a Retsina-producer for pitiful tourists.
Lazaridis has planted a big number of international and indigenous varietals such as Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Limnio (all reds) and Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Roditis (whites of course). Thereby he tries to target more the international taste, but without omitting a certain Greek personality, or let’s better call it Greek Terroir.
In fact, Greece has numerous different Terroir’s due to various changes of topography from North to South and from East to West. Drama has a more continental climate with dry winters and cool summers. Its topography is more alpine than Mediterranean which distincts it clearly from other greek territories. It is no surprise then, that the wine we tried is named “Magic Mountain White”. It is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine with grapes grown at 200 metres altitude on a clay-based soil. When poured in a glass it has a bright yellow-golden colour. The nose is nice and flowery with distinct wooden undertones coming from the use of new oak barrels. The first impression on the palate is a very dry, classic style reminding some Bordeaux whites. Again, wood is one of the more clear flavours but it also has a zesty citrus note. As well it exhibits a fresh acidity but which is well balanced by the wood. Both acidity and wood together give a creamy honey like impression (without being sweet, more the generous “feel” of honey).
In one sentence: This Magic Moubtain is a solid white wine, more reminding classic dry winemaking style, although the intense wood has a more international connotation.
As for the food pairing, I guess it should go well with all spicy Asian dishes due to its zesty personality, but of course also with all spiced fish and seafood dishes.

Greece is truly on the way for becoming a big wine country. In the last years, top winemakers have made a huge effort for fetching the best out of a great variety of terroirs and grapes. This is also true for Greek dessert wines which have always been there but are now starting to compete with its worldwide counterparts. Today I am lucky to try a Vinsanto from the Cyclades island Santorin, a gift from Faye (thanks :=)). I’ve always heard of Vinsanto from Italy, but I guess the winemaking procedure is similar. The grapes are being dried in the sun for some days (raisined) and then slowly fermented. The most famous Santorin winemaker Paris Sigalas (of whom I once tried a nice Assirtiko white wine during my dinner at Varoulko) has the reputation to make some of the best sweet wines of Santorin and Greece. And it takes me only one sip of his Vinsanto to confirm. This wine is genius.
It has a nice dark amber colour, is slightly blear but has the most flavourful nose. It smells like honey and lemon and balsamic vinegar (in a very positive way). On the palate, the same scheme reappears, underlined by a fresh lemon balm note. It has a relatively strong acidity (reminding the high acidity level of German sweet wines), but which is more a sort of fruity honeylike acidity which confers the wine a solid structure. I guess this acidity permits this wine to age a decade or two or even more. At the same time this wine feels creamy, Maybe due to its very soft tannins and also has a great length.
For obtaining this wine Paris Sigalas blends the white grape varieties Asyrtiko (75%) and Aïdani (25%) and keeps it for some years in barrels. The effort is truly worth it. And besides, we also had the perfect dessert-match with it: Faye’s genuine Feta Ice-cream with honey. Sounds interesting doesn’t it? Maybe I’ll add the recipe soon.
Anyway, if I had to rate this wine I would give it a 94-95 grade.
Now here's the recipe for the Feta Ice-cream:

Ingredients (serves 4):

100 ml milk
125 g cream
50 g feta cheese
3 egg-yolks

Preparation:

Heat up milk and cream together. Put in the feta cheese and let melt. Put egg yolks in a metal-bowl. Pour in hot feta-cream while stirring the yolks. Put the bowl on a warm water bath and keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Strain it and let it cool down. Put it for 30 minutes in the ice-cream maker.
Serve with honey.

This is a scene from a restaurant in Nafplio, a city on the Peloponnesus and also the first capital of Greece. It is a nice fish tavern called Agnanti where you can directly sit at the water overlooking the bay of Nafplio which is surrounded by foggy hills. It is the perfect place, the perfect moment to savour life the Greek way. Order a Lobster with spaghetti (astakomakaronada), have some carafes of white house wine, and take your time. Eat some olives until the lobster is ready, have a good time with your friend. Eat a tiny piece of lobster with a big fork of spaghetti, suck the juice out of the claws, take a sip of white wine and lay back. Then when you’re finished, order a small bottle of ouzo and savour it slowly on ice as the sun traces its itinerary through the afternoon sky. There isn’t much more to say.