The invigoration of Greek wine parallels the rise of hip neo-Greek dining in our cities. Why? They’re vibrant, refreshing and the perfect pal for food.
Mike Bennie
There’s a rising tide of Greek wine in Australia aligned with fresh, vibrant, lightweight whites and shimmering, lively, energetic reds. Greek wines seem incredibly appropriate for our dine-outdoor lifestyle, lingering warm days, and taste for food hewn from the Mediterranean.
The invigoration of Greek wine parallels the rise of hip neo-Greek dining we’re seeing in our capital cities, and the current wave reaching Australia has a sense of place and vibrancy. Wines coming into Australia seem to have been selected for quality and value, and are made by producers who eschew that old image we have of Greek wine being rustic.
With more than 300 indigenous grape varieties, there’s plenty to explore, but some grapes are more prominent. Of course, there’s a lot more nuance in the breadth of Greek wine than these, but the following is an introduction to varieties that are balanced, refreshing and enhance what’s on the table rather than dominate it.
The varieties may not roll off the tongue, but the wine styling certainly does.
Assyrtiko
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A white grape native to Santorini, it’s not dissimilar to a tense riesling. Fresh and thirst-quenching, and with a briny, citrus-laced feel, it’s a great entree to Greek wine. It’s tailor-made for Australian seafood and picnic spreads, and should handle oysters, prawns and grilled fish. Crucially, it holds its acidity when it’s hot.
Moschofilero
It sounds like a mouthful, and technically is: all aromatics and spice, it has high quaffability and a sense of uplifting freshness. It offers accessible drinking and frisky white wine pleasure.
Xinomavro
Often likened to nebbiolo, or pinot noir with more tannin, it brings structure, savouriness and a ferrous, herbal edge that locks in beautifully with a breadth of food. Think lamb off the barbecue, charred eggplant or moussaka and autumnal slow-cooked dishes. Don’t be afraid to chill the bottle.
Agiorgitiko
This is plusher, deeper, and made for those wanting heft from a red, but it’s typically not heavy. It’s juicy, spiced, sometimes a little earthy, and is in that mid-weight zone Australians gravitate towards.
Here are three bottles to try
Thymiopolous Young Vines Xinomavro 2023; $35
A lively red wine of fresh, red-berry fruitiness and woody spice with a slip of tangy blood orange freshness in tow. Aromatic, easy drinking and ideal chilled. Drink with a mixed meze plate.
Alexakis Kotsifali Dry Red 2021; $25
A medium-bodied wine from Crete imbued with dark cherry and salted plum with a savoury vein of dusty spice, dried herbs and peppery spice. Simple, but with a broad appeal.
Nico Lazaridi Cavalieri Assyrtiko 2024; $40
A step-up from more basic whites of the assyrtiko variety, this has a distinct, minerally freshness underpinning a crunchy-pear fruitiness and a gentle (like cucumber in tonic water) and pleasing bitterness. Where’s the seafood?
