Greece is one of the cradles of European winemaking. The Mycenaeans already recorded wine on Linear B tablets; the ancient Greeks drank it mixed with water at the symposium, honoured it through the god Dionysus and exported it across the Mediterranean, bringing the vine to southern Italy. After difficult centuries, since the 1980s Greek wine has enjoyed a real revival based on its native grape varieties, more than three hundred of them.
Main grapes
| Grape | Colour | Area | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assyrtiko | White | Santorini, now widespread | Lively acidity, minerality, citrus and saline notes |
| Moschofilero | White (pink skin) | Mantinia, Peloponnese | Aromatic, floral, light |
| Malagousia | White | Central and northern Greece | Perfumed, peach and citrus, rescued from extinction in the 1970s |
| Roditis | White (pink skin) | Peloponnese, Central Greece | Fresh and versatile, the base of many retsinas |
| Vidiano | White | Crete | Full-bodied, ripe fruit |
| Robola | White | Kefalonia | Mineral, grown in the mountains |
| Savatiano | White | Attica | The grape of traditional retsina |
| Agiorgitiko | Red | Nemea, Peloponnese | Soft, red fruit, versatile |
| Xinomavro | Red | Naoussa, Amyndeo, Macedonia | Tannic and acidic, ages well, often compared to nebbiolo |
| Mavrodaphne | Red | Patras, Kefalonia | Mainly used for sweet fortified wines |
| Liatiko and kotsifali | Red | Crete | Warm, spicy reds |
| Limnio | Red | Lemnos, Chalkidiki | A very ancient grape, mentioned by Aristotle |
Wine regions
- Santorini: assyrtiko vines grow in volcanic soil, trained into baskets (kouloura) to shield the grapes from the wind; Vinsanto is a sweet wine from sun-dried grapes.
- Peloponnese: Nemea, the largest red PDO, with agiorgitiko, and Mantinia, on the Arcadian plateau, with moschofilero.
- Macedonia: Naoussa and Amyndeo for xinomavro, and Chalkidiki with the vineyards of Mount Athos.
- Crete: long traditions and new wineries, with native grapes such as vidiano, liatiko and kotsifali.
- Ionian Islands: Kefalonia with robola.
- Samos: the famous Muscat of Samos, a sweet wine exported across Europe for centuries.
Retsina
Retsina is Greece's most typical and most debated wine: a white (or rosé) to which Aleppo pine resin is added during fermentation. The tradition supposedly goes back to antiquity, when amphorae were sealed with resin. Today there are quality retsinas, more delicate, made by modern wineries. Drink it chilled with mezedes and fried fish.
Reading the label
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ΠΟΠ (POP) | Protected Designation of Origin, such as Santorini, Nemea, Naoussa |
| ΠΓΕ (PGE) | Protected Geographical Indication, more flexible rules |
| Xiros | Dry |
| Imiglykos | Medium sweet |
| Glykos | Sweet |
| Lefkos, erythros, roze | White, red, rosé |
Visiting wineries
Many wineries welcome visitors for tastings, often by appointment: on Santorini (around Pyrgos and Megalochori), at Nemea, around Naoussa and Thessaloniki, and on Crete (around Heraklion and Peza). The "wine roads" of northern Greece and the Peloponnese link dozens of producers. In tavernas the house wine (hyma), served from the barrel in metal jugs, is often simple but pleasant and cheap.
See also drinking in Greece and Santorini.