Greek wines have been a part of Greek culture since ancient times. Dionysus was the god of wine and they organized festivals to honor him back in the day. For this reason, Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions on the planet, and mashed grapes were found there that are over 6500 years old.
The ancient Greek story tells the story of the son of Dionysus, who was a shepherd. When he was grazing his goats, he noticed that some goats who ate wild grapes were acting crazier than others.
He made a drink out of the grapes and offered it to the king, whose name was Oineas. So, he called the drink “oinos.” This word likely became “vino” in Latin and later “wine” in English.
The ancient Greeks celebrated wine so much that it was represented in religious icons and it was included often in the writing of famous Greek philosophers.
Today, Greece has over 200 varieties of grapes, and their fame is growing internationally. For example, Greece has mountainous regions in the Peloponnese, a variety of soils in Crete, and a rich clay earth in Macedonia in the north. Thessaly is known for its granite soil, and some of the Cyclades have volcanic soil. In this article, we will explore Greece’s many white wines.
Muscat of Samos
The island of Samos is the home of Pythagoras, and according to myths, Dionysus himself taught the local residents of Samos how to make this wine. There are both dry and sweet varieties of Muscat in Samos, and the most popular sweet wine from Samos is the Vin Doux.
Retsina
Retsina is a stereotype about Greek wine, and some people think that Greeks exclusively drink retsina, which is not true. Retsina was first cultivated thousands of years ago, when ancient Greeks stored wine in amphorae, adding a pine resin so that the wine would not spoil.
More recently in the mid 1900’s, the wine got a bad reputation for using too much resin to mask stale wines, which were of poor quality. Today, there are many retsinas on the market, some of which are very good quality. The best pairings for this variety are spinach and cheese pies, pastitsio (like lasagna), and meat dishes. One of the best places for Dutch expats ordering Greek wines is pontiki.nl.
Malagousia
Malagousia is found in the vineyards in the northern part of mainland Greece. Apparently, Evangelos Gerovassiliou planted this grape in the 1980s when nobody else was. The resulting wine slowly became more popular and its floral aromas and fruity flavors became widespread in Greece. His Ktima Gerovassiliou is in Thessaloniki and is open for wine tasting and visits to the wine museum. It is best paired with Greek summer salads, vegetables, and fish.
Moschofilero
Moschofilero is usually found in southern Greece, in the northern and eastern areas of the Peloponnese. The wine is slowly gaining popularity and some great places to try it are at the Troupis and Tselepos wineries. The flavor profile of moschofilero is medium-bodied and fruity. The best pairings are seafood or a light pasta.
Robola
Robola comes from the Ionian islands, specifically in Kefalonia, and only occasionally in central Greece. The vines that produce Robola wines are hard to take care of because of their weakness to drought, but the result is worth it. Some of the best places to find Robola wines are at Gentilini Winery, Petrakopoulos Wines, and Sclavos Winery. The best pairings for Robola wine are seafood, dish, or gemista (stuffed peppers).
Savatiano
Savatiano is the most widely planted grape in Greece and takes up a lot of the growing region in Central Greece and in Attica. The name comes from the word “Sabbath”– (Sabbato). It is used in Retsina wines but also is made into dry Savatiano wines. Unlike other vines in Greece, Savatiano vines are resistant to drought. They have been planted here for hundreds of years for this reason. The best pairing for Savatiano is fried zucchini and crab cakes.
Looking for a crash course in Greek wines? We recommend Dutch author Frederiek Lommens’ book, ‘Druiven en droesem, een reis langs Griekse wijngaarden’ (2011). The book is the author’s personal journey that takes her from the very north, near the border of Turkey, to the southern island of Crete. She goes to the smallest villages and highest mountains in Greece to taste wines from all over the country. Lommens’ travel blog shares what she learned about the political, cultural, and physical landscape of Greece as it relates to wines.
