It's time to try Greek wines.
June 20, 2024
My curiosity of wines from Greece stemmed from a visit to a famous Greek restaurant in Montreal. I was handed an extensive wine list and it was all Greek wines. I’m in the wine industry and I know my stuff, thank you very much. However, I didn’t even know what I was reading. I was intimidated and totally out of my comfort zone. So, I decided to put my faith in our server. I told them (the truth), that I knew nothing about Greek wine and would he please recommend a starter glass and then a bottle to go with our meal. The wines and the pairings were superb and the whole experience was enlightening. The best part was the wines were so inexpensive yet absolutely delicious. Thus, the research and adventure into a new wine region began.
The Peloponnese, a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece is wine country and a beautiful place with hills dropping into turquoise waters folded into a pleasing Mediterranean climate. As the “cradle of western civilization,” Greece has been making wine, well, forever. The wines have come a long way recently along with the ability to get our hands on the traditional and smaller-production wines.
Still, you don’t see much Greek wine and that’s a shame, however Greek wine can be intimidating. Unfamiliarity with the grapes, the geography, the language, and the culture can be barriers to widespread acceptance. Just the names can be distractingly complicated. Agiorghtiko doesn’t exactly roll off the American tongue! The beauty of good wine is its ability to transport you to different places and cultures, sometimes commonplace, sometimes entirely new. Cozy and familiar is wonderful, but so is the adventure of the unknown.
After all, nothing ventured. Nothing gained.
Introducing The Stamnaki wines, a name that translates to “little wine jug.” They are made to celebrate indigenous Greek varietals vinified traditionally, that is by small family wineries who follow traditional practices. These wines are distinctive in that they faithfully express their places of origin, through the choice of grapes and other elements of the terroir, but the differences with, say, French or Italian reds, are subtle and pleasing.
These wines represent a familiar Mediterranean style and are easy-drinking, food -friendly and best of all – the price to quality ratio is off-the-charts!
Click here to see our Greek wines.
