The stunning series of wine tasting events hosted by the WSPC continued last week. The latest event was a particular treat, as the well known Boutari Group showcased Xinomavro wines covering five decades. The wines were presented by Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, Konstantinos Boutaris (President), Yiannis Voyatzis (the chief oenologist who has been wit...

Today is a special day for me: Six months ago I announced here that a fine selection of Greek wines that I carry via 600bottles will soon be featured at the 3 star Michelin Restaurant Bareiss in Germany. I am very proud to announce that I have now received the order ? the wines are

Xinomavro can capture the dreams and hopes of people far away. Laurens Hartman and his wife Annette van Kampen left their comfortable life in Holland behind and founded the Domaine Karanika in Amyndeo. Within a few years, they have managed to produce a number of fine wines that are marked by their individual character. The

Kostis Dalamaras writes a truly superb blog, albeit it is currently only published in Greek. This will change soon, so please bookmark his site. A few days ago he alerted me to his latest post, a reprint of an article by a local newspaper in Naoussa from 1988. In it, his grandfather Kostas discusses whether

Area grown: Southwest Achaia (in the northwest of the Peleponnese) History: Watch the video for nerdy fun-facts Grapes: Medium bunches with small and evenly rounded berries that turn from green to gold yellow straw colour during maturation. Harvest takes place during mid September. The grapes have good sugar content, but slightly lack acidity. Yiel...

Kostis Dalamara has been dubbed "the future of Naoussa". He is one of the "young guns", a small group of young, yet extremely talented Greek winemakers that will shape the Greek wine industry in the years to come. Kostis is very thoughtful, passionate and not afraid to offer his view on controversial issues. At a

Stellios Boutaris from the Kir Yianni Estate does not really need an introduction. Kir Yianni is one of the best known Greek producers, and their wines are renowned in- and outside of Greece. Founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, the estate is now run by his oldest son. In this Q&A, Stellios gives his personal

For the first time, a Greek wine was featured on Gary Vaynerchuk?s Daily Grape last Thursday. The review of the Boutari Kretikos red 2008 started well, but ended with disappointment: "Tannic, disjointed, awkward, bitter, poor finish" were some of the descriptors used. You can view the episode here. Boutari is the one Greek brand that...

The Lazaridi brothers Nicos and Costas can be credited for putting the wine region of Drama on the map, not only within Greece, but also on an international level. Nicos created the Chateau Nico Lazaridi, Costas split from his brother a few years after the establishment of the estate. In 1992, he founded the Domaine

This weekend my family and I went to the gorgeous wine region of Aegialia in the Peloponnese. The landscape is simply stunning, and in my view the wine growing areas in the mountainous regions would deserve their own appellation. On Saturday evening we had dinner with Panayiotis Papagiannopoulos and his lovely wife Eleni. Panayiotis is

Haroula Spinthiropoulou from the Argatia winery discusses direct sales and the importance of personal customer relationships. She also takes a critical look at prevailing attitudes amongst Greek producers and issues a call for unity. The first part of the Q&A can be found here. 3. Do you export part of your production? How do you

Viniculturist Dr Haroula Spinthiropoulou is very well known within the Greek wine industry. Together with her husband Panagiotis Georgiadis she created the small but fine Argatia estate in Rodochori, Naoussa. Whenever I taste their Xinomavro wines, I am deeply impressed by the sheer concentration and depth they offer. They are meant for long term-a...

Xinomavro vintages vary and lead to wines with different characteristics. Use this guide for those vintages that are currently available in the market, or have yet to be released. 2003 *** 2003 was relatively dry and cool until mid-summer. The application of correct plant protection methods contributed to the production of healthy grapes and permit...

Wine & Web with Gary Vaynerchuk might well be one of the hottest radio shows in the US. Aired weekly since the end of August last year on Sirius Satellite Radio, it has been a huge success story. In fact the show has done so well that it was moved to the important 8 ?

1994 ***** 1994 was a particularly hot and dry year. High temperatures during August were followed by a heavy drought in September, which led to a great deal of stress on the vines and finally to the over-ripening of the grapes. The wines are considered to be typical of the variety, with intense, distinct aromas

I have kept the image of my uncle, Kostakis Nitsiotas, on my mind. I used to watch him when I was young, working on the wines and tasting the content of a vaeni, as we used to call the large oak barrels. Back then, we did not use small containers, but 2, 3 and 5-ton

Greece is producing wines that are more diverse than those from most wine producing countries. The sheer number of indigenous and international grape varieties grown in this country offers numerous aromatic and flavour profiles. This has been widely acknowledged to the point of now being common knowledge: the diversity of Greek wines is unique abou...

In this second part of the Q & A, Apostolos Thimiopoulos shares impressive export numbers for his wines, explains how they were achieved and finally talks very open about his hopes for the future. Do you export part of your production? How do you promote your wines? Exports currently represent more than 80% of our

Apostolos Thimiopoulos has been a rising star ever since he introduced the first Ghi kai Uranos wine to the market in 2005. He is also one of the few Greek producers who have succeeded in selling the vast majority of their production to the export markets. Apostolos is very passionate about Xinomavro, and raises a

If you ask Greeks for the name of the one winemaker they most adore and respect, the answer will very likely be "Vangelis Gerovassiliou". He is admired by wine lovers and, maybe even more telling, by fellow winemakers. After his studies he specialised in Oenology, Viticulture, Wine Degustation and Technology at the University of Bordeaux,...

Kostis Dalamara from the Dalamara winery gives insight into how they promote their wines, and also shares some personal thoughts as he discusses the current consequences that wineries face as a result of the financial crisis in Greece. He gives a very powerful message to the entire Greek wine sector. The first part of this

I asked a number of winemakers a set of 4 questions that allows them to give background on their winery, share their views on Xinomavro, expand on the business, and also share some more personal thoughts. Kostis Dalamara from the family run Dalamara winery is a remarkable young man who has already built up an

Xinomavro has long convinced me of its outstanding potential to create unique wines with multiple layers of complexity and a very serious ageing potential. The best wines are an embodiment of a wine connoisseurs? dream. I am delighted and excited to launch a new project within elloinos that will tell the story of this grape

HESTIA – the world of Greek wine Certificate Advanced is the latest brainchild of Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and his team at Wine & Spirits Professional Consultants. They are a WSET approved programme provider, and have already educated many Greek wine lovers up to the diploma level. This brand-new course fills an important void, as it...

Megas Oenos from the Domaine Skouras has been one of the great Greek iconic wines for more than two decades, and it continuous to lead the super-elite of Nemea.? The wine is a blend of 80% Agiorgitiko and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Agiorgitiko vines (5.5 ha vineyards, 4 parcels) are between 50 and 70 years

I was invited as a guest speaker at the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO, Greek acronym EOT) last Thursday. This was my very first contact with any official Greek organization since I started promoting Greek wines abroad two years ago. The event was organised by the OpenTourism team, whose goal is to open a dialogue

Greek white wines offer at least as much diversity as their red siblings. While there are many stunning wines available, it seems that none are so terroir driven as the Assyrtikos from Santorini. It is no surprise that these wines are receiving more and more attention from wine critics on a global basis. As with

Greek wines offer a LOT of diversity, so much that any wine lover is bound to find that special bottle which will truly captivate one?s senses. To name a wine of the year can be controversial, as it is guided in part by personal emotion. It is one thing to "judge" wines by their quality,

Agrenda is a weekly Greek agricultural newspaper that is distributed nationwide. An interview with me in regards to the marketing of Greek wines in Germany was published a few days ago. The original interview in Greek can be found here . My answers were actually more elaborate, but were shortened somewhat because of limited space

One of the Greek nations most pronounced characteristics is that they are masters in providing quick fixes ? as a matter of fact, quick and dirty fixes. No problem is a real problem: It is stimuli to be creative about a workaround,? if no obvious or fast solution is at hand. I have experienced this

The Greek wine legislation, along with those of the other EU countries, is changing. The European Union has introduced a unified system for all its members.? The implementation was phased and will be concluded by the end of this year. It is important to note that for the time being, both terms, from the old

The sweet wines of Greece offer some of the most undervalued bargains that still exist. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Nikos Panidis suggest some fascinating food pairings that are not limited to just desserts. Indeed serveral meat dishes that work extremely well are featured. I hope this post inspires you to try some of these world-class

Sometimes I taste Greek wines that form an immediate bond with me. They don?t have to be stunning or of truly outstanding quality, as long as they show potential. They certainly do not have to be well known. I am well aware that readers are likely more interested in learning about wines that are well

Greek wines continue to make headway in a most impressive way. Last week I had an appointment at one of Germany?s most highly regarded gourmet restaurants, the Restaurant Bareiss in the Black Forest. It is one of nine establishments in Germany that carries three Michelin stars. The Michelin Guide also highlights their wine list as

My wife Alexandra is sharing a tongue in cheek? account of her latest accomplishment – running the Marathon in Venice. My kids and I are extremely proud of her, it is amazing what real passion drives people to accomplish. Read here how it all started. It is my husband?s calling to educate the world on

Nemea is the one region in Greece that together with Santorini achieved branding itself successfully. It is particularly noteworthy that Nemea also managed to become a synonym to the noble grape variety grown there, Agiorgitiko, whose name is much harder to remember. A few weeks ago I reported on the effects the ongoing financial crises

Xinomavro is without a doubt one of the most fascinating and noblest Greek grape varietals. Its flavour profile is unique and well made wines can age for decades. It is no secret that I am a big admirer of Xinomavro. It is my personal opinion that this varietal has the full potential to place the

Greek red wines are perfect food partners. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Nikos Panidis match a variety of styles with a large number of dishes, focusing on tannins, acidity, use of oak and age of the wine. Although the warm sunny summer of several wine regions in Greece is ideal for the production of ripe, healthy

Greek ros? wines are extremely versatile and nearly always surprise with their concentrated, vibrant fruit character. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Nikos Panidis share another guest post and point out some great food suggestions. Once widely ignored, ros?s today are some of the most appealing and versatile wines that can accompany food. Almost ever...

Over the weekend, I presented a number of Greek wines in Germany. The event took place at the Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen, home to my dear friend Dirk Wuertz, winemaker and social media revolutionary par excellence. I have held several presentations of Greek wines there in the past, but this time there was a noticeable difference:

WeinWisser is an exclusive and independent wine publication that is available to its mostly Swiss and German readers by subscription only. More than 4000 wines are tasted, scored and reported on every year. It is one of the most important and most often quoted German speaking wine publications. WeinWisser has been published for 18 consecutive

Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Nikos Panidis continue their educational journey of pairing Greek wines with food. I really like the way they manage to inform in depth by describing various styles, naming varietals and regions, and of course their?food and wine matching?suggestions. High-acid, light-bodied aromatic whites, such as a floral Moschofile...

The ongoing financial crisis in Greece continues to take its toll. Disposable income for the consumer is dropping like a stone, and by now every sector in the country is badly affected. The wineries are having a particular hard time, cash flows have completely dried up and I estimate that sales are down by between

100 Grape varieties from Greece – Dafni from Markus Stolz on Vimeo. Dafni Area grown: Area of Alagni, Iraklio in Crete ? which is extremely limited. Alagni is the most mountainous village of the appellation area Peza. History: Dafni is one of the oldest ancient grape varieties known; it might also be the oldest recorded

Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Nikos Panidis suggest some intriguing food pairings with Greek sparkling wines. It might not be as well known as it deserves to be, but Greece produces some excellent quality sparkling wines in a wide range of styles. From pale green-lemon to moderately pale gold and from onionskin to deep pink, fully

The current issue 190 of Robert Parker?s Wine Advocate (August 31st) includes ratings on 24 Greek wines. Mark Squires, who wrote the reviews, has one of the most trusted palates in the wine business. Over the last couple of years, he has smartly become one of the leading experts of Greek wines, having visited Greece

I am truly delighted and honored to have received the support of Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, who has agreed to publish a number of guest posts via elloinos. Konstantinos is the first and only Greek Master of Wine and he runs the Wine and Spirit Professional Consultants Group (WSPC), which is also the accredited provider of

This is a guest post by the love of my life, my wife Alexandra. Her passion for running is a great source of inspiration, as are her achievements! Our kids and me are enormously proud of her, although we?begin to worry what on earth might be her next "running goal" As some of you may

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

The wine sales of tavernas in Greece are still massively dominated by bulk wine. It is an intrinsic part of the Greek culture to consume wine with food, and people here are accustomed to "wash down" their meals with a glass of jug wine. The problem is of course that the 16 million tourists who