Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Discover Greek Wine’ event at Cellar Magnifique in Woking. The event was hosted by Sam Kemp, wine events manager and English winemaker, who is knowledgeable and deeply passionate about wine.
We were introduced to five wines, comprising three whites and two reds. It was interesting to learn that despite Greece’s hot climate, 55% of its wines are white. This is attributed to the local, indigenous, grapes being suitable for white wine and the white wine being well-suited to the hot Greek weather.
The first wine we tasted was the Feast – ‘Moschofilero’ from Semeli Estate, Nemea & Atalanti. This wine is a blend of 90% Moschofilero and 10% Roditis. It’s an aromatic white wine with hints of lemon and lychee. The best way to describe it would be to liken it to a Gewurztraminer but with a touch more acidity.
Next, we sampled the ‘Assyrtiko’ from Crete, not Greece. Interestingly, there was a change in the planned wine, and while it was still the Assyrtiko grape, this one came from Crete rather than Greece and had citrus and stone fruit flavours.
The Stalisma ‘Malagousia/Xinomavro’ from Kamara Estate in Oraiokastro Thessaloniki was particularly intriguing. Its low intervention approach, which means it’s not filtered and aged on lees for three months, gives it a resemblance to a cloudy Muscadet:
The Thronos ‘Agriorgitiko’ from Athanasiou Winery in Nemea was a red, certified organic wine. It had a spicy, red fruit flavour with a tannic undertone. This medium to full-bodied wine with a slightly purple hue is perfect for BBQs or grilled meats. As we continued to sip, it seemed to grow ever more tannic.
Lastly, we tasted the Shadow Play ‘Xinomavro’ from Kamara Estate in Thessaloniki. This is another low intervention wine, made using natural yeasts and without filtration. Its taste was reminiscent of Barolo but its colour was like a thin, brown Pinot Noir.
In summary, a common characteristic among all the wines was their higher acidity, making them perfect accompaniments for meals. The cloudy appearance of Stalisma and the under-coloured Shadow Play played with the senses and will remain memorable. Greek wines are under-appreciated and are worth seeking out as something different, especially as only 4% of wine supplied to the UK is Greek.
To accompany the evening, we were treated to some tasty Greek food, provided by Elia. The entire experience was a interesting journey into the current innovation of Greek wines. Thanks to Sam Kemp, Roland Foxcroft and the hard-working team at Cellar Magnifique in Woking.
