What term captures the essence of what Greek wines are all about? Is there a single adjective that can help to define what sets the wines from Greece apart? I think so:
Greek wines are discreet wines.
They offer the following characteristics:
- Crisp and refreshing acidity
- Noticeable but soft tannins
- Light bodied texture
- Relative low alcohol
- Mellow palate
This combination makes them the ultimate food wines. They are never too overpowering, yet packed with pure elegance. They are naturally restrained wines, balanced and harmonious. They truly complement food, rather than stealing the spotlight. They are simply made to be enjoyed, yet are far from being simple!
Markus, that’s just beautifully said and written! I particularly love your last sentence.
Viviane, thank you – I feel that far too little is said about what makes these wines so different. I have often thought that their food enhancing capabilities are so under estimated. Maybe we should team up for a series of posts…
Indeed Markus! I will email you with details very soon… I have been thinking and planning something along the same lines. Most excited about it…
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Although your statement is not far from being true as far as the best Greek wines are concerned, I have a feeling that a growing number of Greek winemakers are trying to produce wines of exactly the opposite style, at least as their “cuvees de prestige” bottlings. I do not want to start dropping names, but think of the priciest Greek wines and you will probably agree with me. Levels of alcohol often exceeding 15% (they just do not mention it on the label for alcohol duty reasons), black, opaq colours for reds and dark golden for whites, excessive use of new oak (this being one of the most serious drawbacks of many otherwise good efforts) and signs of overextraction are commonly met in those wannabenewworldblockbusters (nice word, no?). The fashion for these wines reached its peak around 2 years ago, as did their prices, which were set ridiculously high in order to make them the dears of the then rising class of the newly rich, so now thanks in part to the financial crisis their popularity is decreasing . However, I still see many wineries trying to enter this segment of the market. Strangely this comment links to my previous one on Greek wine values as well as K. Katsoulieris’s comment on the same subject.
Yianni, I hear you very loud and clear – trust me, I am a 100% behind you on your critisicm. Thankfully, due to the pricing, few of those wines were exported, if any. As this site is mainly an effort to educate people abroad about Greek wines, I was refering to the more general quality. And I believe that (most) Greek wines fall into my description.
As to your previous comment on Greek value wines, I agree with both yours and Kostas’ assessments.