About Greek Wine

In a report published by Forbes last year, wine exports globally have broken the world record for accumulating a total of €37.6 billion ($41.3 billion) for wine exports in 2022. Yet even with wine exports being increasingly accessible, Greek wine is still very much an elusive market that is not commonly found in most retail stores here. 

Greece is a mature market, with wine being a major part of their national lifestyle. The Greeks are very set in their ways, they consume wine on certain occasions and enjoy specific styles: flavourful, though refreshing, and light. Greek wine producers, largely reliant on their national market, have to make wines that cater to this preference, which is why they aren’t as widely popular globally as other winemakers from Australia, Italy, France or America. Despite its elusive nature, here are some of the reasons why you should have a taste and try Greek wine.

Reasons to choose Greek Wine

Wine pairing

Just as French lawyer and politician Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin says, “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine”, the Greeks will never have a glass of wine without a small nibble on the side or have a meal without a glass of wine.

Greek wines are made with moderate levels of alcohol to complement the food rather than dominate the palate. This can be attributed to the sheer elegance, texture, the ability to refresh one’s palate and their complex, deep, but never overblown, flavour profiles. These are the reasons why Greek wine can be an impeccable match to virtually all cuisines around the world, not just Greek food.

Another interesting example of the way the Greek wine-producing culture has become more relevant on the international level is the current “hunt for terroir”.

Although the very notion of terroir is much disputed by numerous top wine authorities worldwide, there are two major prerequisites to producing true terroir wines. The first is having enough time available, over generations, to truly grasp a specific terroir. The second prerequisite is its small-scale production patterns. Greek wine fulfils both such requirements, boasting an amazing array of distinctive and unique terroirs.Greek producers, who have been cultivating their vineyards long enough to fully grasp the potential of their terroirs, understand that “terroir-driven” wines are what will make them stand apart. 

The four most important Greek grape varieties in terms of quantity are Savatiano, Roditis, the Muscat family of varieties (Blanc, Alexandria and Hamburg) and Agiorgitiko.

Most Greece wine-producing regions understand the positive impact of avoiding chemicals in their vineyards, and with their small cultivation scale, have the ability to grow wine in a chemical-free environment. These organic viticultural practices have led to an emerging group that offers up biodynamic and natural wines.

Affordability

Another aspect that reinforces the uniqueness of Greek wine is their excellent value. While they will never be cheap –cheap enough to compete at the bottom end of the market– their top quality makes them outstandingly value-for-money.

It is not likely that Greek wine brands will dominate sales in main export markets since they are produced in small quantities. They are, however, some of the best value-for-money buys in the world market today. 

If we have you convinced, take your pick of our recommended array of wines, carefully curated together with our wine producer, Giannikos Winery. Get them for your next dinner party as a food pairing, and it could very well serve as a good conversation starter for what you know about Greek wine.