Exciting Organic Wines from Greece
6/20/19 -
Today it is our pleasure to highlight four fascinating summer-friendly organic wines from Greece. Greece has a long, varied, and unique viticultural tradition, with grapes grown throughout the nation's mainland and its islands. Unique indigenous varieties, as well as more recent additions, produce wines that express a wide variety of terroirs and microclimates and continue a tradition that reaches back to antiquity.
These wines are just a sampling of what's going on today in the world of organic and natural Greek wines. They are fresh, friendly, and interesting, and maybe a bit off the beaten path. Most of all, they are perfect wines for sunny days and warm evenings this summer. Fresh, refreshing, and unique, I hope they will pique your curiosity about Greek wines as we continue to explore this exciting and expanding category in the coming months at Chambers Street Wines!
Papras Bio Wines, in Thessaly near Mount Olympus, is producing exciting wines with the local specialty, Black Muscat of Tyrnavos. Their aromatic rosé made from this grape, the 2018 Papras Oreads Rosé, shows the telltale citrus and crushed grape notes of Muscat on the nose but is dry and salty on the palate with notes of blood orange. The sparkling Melanthia has a delicate mousse and bright notes of mandarin orange, spice, and grape. Both are refreshing quaffers for the summer.
In Achaia in the Peloponnese, Sant'Or is making fascinating wines from local varieties, including the only varietal wines of the local Santameriana grape. Their amphora-aged, skin contact 2018 Santomeri Santameriana orange wine is especially interesting, with a honeyed texture and notes of apricot and green herbs.
Lemnos, in the Aegean Sea, has an exceptionally long history of viticulture: the quality of the island's wine was mentioned in the Iliad. Garalis produces Terra Ambera, an elegant and expressive skin-contact Muscat of Alexandria grown on the island's volcanic soils that balances the energy and aromatic intensity of Muscat with the savory, mineral character of the volcanic terroir.
Come taste these fascinating and refreshing skin-contact wines that are perfect for summer this Friday, 6/21, with Maria from Eklektikon!
-Ben Fletcher
