NEW YORK – The James Beard Foundation hosts its Beverage Seminar: Ancient Greek Wines, an ‘Odyssey’-inspired exploration of natural wines with Eklektikon, on Wednesday, November 18, 6 PM, at Pier 57, 25 11th Avenue in New York City.
Long before modern intervention shaped the cellar, the wines of the ancient Aegean were wild, alive, and inextricably bound to the sun, sea, and soil. This immersive wine seminar traces the epic geography and living history of Greek winemaking through a curated exploration of no-sulfite, low-intervention wines from importer Eklektikon.
Guided by the spirit of Homer’s Odyssey, this tasting journeys across Greece’s most dramatic landscapes— from windswept island vineyards and volcanic soils to high-altitude mountain slopes. The seminar will explore how a new generation of visionary growers is reviving ancient indigenous grapes, amphora aging, and zero-sulfur practices to produce raw, vibrant wines that taste purely of their origin.
Guests will enjoy a guided tasting of rare, no-sulfite Greek wines, offering a unique look into one of the Mediterranean’s most exciting natural wine movements. Each wine will be paired with a menu item created by Kaló, the Upper East Side Greek restaurant whose kitchen draws on recipes from every region of Greece. Together, the pairings complete the journey from vineyard to table.
The menu includes ‘Epityroum’ Smashed Olives with Herbs on a Barley Rusk paired with Mitzifiris Lilas Savatiano White 2024, Canned Sardines with Beets paired with Halkia Agiorgitiko Reddish 2025, Persimmon Lotus Fruit with Goat Cheese paired with Kontozisis Vineyards A-grafo Assyrtiko 2024, ‘Allas’ Sausage with Cabbage and Elixir aired with Garalis Winery Limnio Red 2024, and Pasteli: Sesame and Honey Seed Confection.
Tickets, $95 for general admission, and additional information are available online: https://shorturl.at/aBvNM
It should be noted that James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.
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