Mention Greek wine in Britain and someone will bring up a holiday, a taverna and a glass of retsina that tasted like a pine tree. That story is a shame, because Greece has one of the oldest wine cultures on earth and some of the most interesting native grapes in Europe.
A very old habit
People in Greece were making wine at least four thousand years ago. Dionysus had an entire cult devoted to it. Wine was traded around the Mediterranean in clay amphorae, and that trade is where retsina comes from.
Retsina, reconsidered
Ancient amphorae were sealed with pine resin to keep the air out, and the wine picked up its flavour. Long after the containers changed, Greeks kept the taste, adding a little resin during fermentation on purpose.
Cheap retsina earned its reputation. A good one is dry, crisp and faintly herbal rather than medicinal, and it makes sense the moment you drink it with food: fried kalamari, salty feta, garlicky dips, anything with olive oil. Ours is made from Savatiano, the traditional white grape of Attica. Order it cold, with meze, and give it another chance.
Agiorgitiko, the red to know
Agiorgitiko (ah-yor-YEE-tee-ko), "St George's grape", is the red of Nemea in the northern Peloponnese and one of the most widely planted red grapes in Greece. It makes soft, dark-fruited, easy-drinking wine with gentle tannins, somewhere in spirit between a Merlot and a lighter Syrah.
On our list it appears as a dry Agiorgitiko and Syrah blend from Nemea in Corinthia. It is very good with lamb chops, moussaka and anything off the grill.
From Macedonia in the north
Our Makedonikos white and red come from northern Greece. The white is fresh, crisp, light and citrussy, an easy match for seafood and salads. The red is medium-dry and soft, made for grilled meat.
How to drink Greek wine
Greek wine was made for the table, not for tasting notes. It is at its best with food that has salt, acid, olive oil and char, which is to say, with meze. If in doubt: a crisp white with dips and seafood, a red with the grill, and retsina with anything fried.
The rest of the list travels further, through Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina and Australia, from Pinot Grigio to Barolo. See the wine list, or ask the team what is drinking well.