Working week in Germany Part 3

On Thursday, I had a leisure day in Hamburg. I met with Christos Kokkalis at lunch time and we strolled around the city, had coffee, and as always talked a lot about Greek wines. Late afternoon I received a call from Mario Scheuermann, who asked if I could provide him with some more Greek wines, as he had enjoyed the tasting so much.

In the evening we met again with the lovely Sommelier couple Dagmar Willich and Rene Baumgart. We were in for a treat, as they had organised a table with a great view in the Carls Brasserie, the newest member of the Jacob dynasty. What a great setting this place has - our table was perfectly located to enjoy the views of the harbour and the Elbphilharmony. The food was delicious, and the conversation was flowing easily. Both Dagmar and Rene are such friendly, knowledgeable, and interesting people, I am really glad to have met them.

Friday morning I drove to Mario Scheuermann and provided him with another 6 Greek wines. After this, I had an appointment with a wine importer. I had a very fruitful discussion, and I left 30 labels there, from which a selection will be presented by me in August. It was time to make my way back to Siegen. There was heavy traffic and the drive took nearly 7 hours. On Saturday morning I took the plane from Duesseldorf to Athens, ready to tackle the workload that expected me there. It still amazes me how quickly work can pile up!

Working week in Germany Part 2: Meeting the big guys

On Wednesday morning I woke up at 5:00 am and drove 5 hours to Hamburg. I arrived at the Hotel Baseler Hof around 11:30 am. A Twitter meeting was planned for the afternoon. This was organised by Mario Scheuermann alas weinreporter, who is a very well known wine critic and journalist. The agenda was for me to present and discuss Greek wines. Also invited were Dr. Eckhard Supp alas enoworldwine, who is the publisher of ENO WorldWine, as well as Michael W. Pleitgen alas weinakademie, who runs a Wine Consulting and Education Business in Berlin. Mario Scheuermann's charming wife odorfa also was expected to join us. I had invited my good friend Christos Kokkalis as a surprise guest.



The Tschebull Restaurant was chosen as the venue. At midday, I transported the wines to be presented to the Restaurant in order to cool the whites and decant some reds. The setting was impressive, the Tschebull is a very modern and light-flooded place, at a very central location. At 2:30 pm I picked up Christos Kokkalis from the Central Railway Station. He checked into his hotel and we arrived at the Tschebull just after 3:00 pm.

After a short while, Mario Scheuermann and Eckhard Supp joined us. Michael Pleitgen was delayed, as he was training some chefs and sommeliers in Luebeck. We had a very lively and constructive discussion about the Greek wine market. The presentation/tasting started at 4:00 pm. I had selected eight different wines, 2 whites and 6 reds, out of about 30 labels that I carried to Hamburg. Christos brought a bottle of his 2006 Trilogia. We took time to taste and discuss every single wine, and odorfa joined us half way through. It is always fascinating to hear top tasters arguing with each other about personal preferences, as this just shows that complex wines waken different perceptions in different people. Everyone at the table agreed that all wines presented were captivating - and half of the wines shown received particular high praise. I was of course very pleased with this, as I believe so strongly in the quality of selected Greek wines available today.

Michael Pleitgen arrived at 6:00 pm, he interviewed me and tasted a few wines as he had to catch the train to Berlin at 07:00 pm. Eckhard Supp, Mario Scheuermann and odorfa stayed until 08:00 pm. Christos and myself were then joined by the Sommelier couple Rene Baumgart und Dagmar Willich for dinner at Tschebull. I arrived back at the Baseler Hof at 10:30 pm and surfed the Internet. Mario Scheuermann had already twittered about the Greek wine tasting, the next morning I found articles by Michael Pleitgen and Eckhard Supp, also reporting about the event.

Links to reports in German:

Weinakademie Berlin: Mutiger junger Mann

ENO WorldWine: Griechenland

Drinktank: Tetramythos

weinreporter: 24.06. 2:03 pm, 24.06. 2:09 pm, 24.06. 2:09 pm 2, 24.06. 2:11 pm, 24.06 2:13 pm, 24.06. 02:14 pm, 24.06. 2:16 pm, 24.06. 2:20 pm

Working week in Germany Part 1

I spent all of last week in Germany with a tight and full schedule. On the 20th June I flew to Duesseldorf and arrived at my base close to Siegen in the afternoon. A week before that, I had sent a pallet of mixed wines from Greece to Germany (one pallet carries roughly 600 bottles), a total of 30 labels from 10 different winemakers. I needed quite a few hours on Saturday and Sunday to group some of the wines into different parcels, deciding where to show which wines.

Monday morning I made my way to Montabaur, an hours drive by car, to catch the ICE train to Munich. The train ride was quite pleasant and I used the 4 hours to prepare myself for the week. My appointment was with a wine merchant at a very central location in Munich. It is so important to meet face to face - it is the only way to really learn what personalised services one might be able to offer. After about 45 minutes I left some samples and made my way back to the Hauptbahnhof (central railway station) with suggestions and comments received. I waited a couple of hours before taking the ICE back to Montabaur, arriving at my base at 12:30 pm. I worked for another hour on the PC before hitting the bed.

The next morning I took a two and a half hours drive to Kempen to meet with a potential client. The meeting went very well, again I left my samples there. Usually I try and taste the wines with the customer, in order to guide through. But Monday and Tuesday were exceptions, as both times the time schedule did not allow for this. I drove back in the afternoon and arrived in Siegen in the early evening. Samples had to be selected and packed for the next 3 days. The boot of my car was full with wines by the time I was finished.

AVIN - An ISBN for Wines by Adegga

Adegga, the Social Wine Discovery service, has recently introduced AVIN codes for wines. AVIN is a free unique code for wines, similar to an open ISBN for books. When naming wines, people often use different names while refering to the same wine. This is certainly true for Greek wines abroad, as the consumer can easily be confused about the name. I fully support Adegga's efforts to unify wine names in a single database, thereby providing simple ways to access this information. I have already updated all tasting notes from the Dionysia with the AVIN codes, and plan to use AVIN codes on any new references to wines in this blog. This should be very helpful to pinpoint any single wine. Please comment your suggestions/feedback.

World famous oenologist explores co-operation with Alpha Estate

Eric Boissenot, one of the most famous oenologists of the winemaking world, was recently invited at the Alpha Estate in Amyndeo, Greece, by the vineyard's oenologist Angelos Iatridis.

Eric Boissenot maintains his wine laboratory in the region of Pauillac, Bordeaux. He has many high-class co-operations, amongst others with Chateau Lafite, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, Chateau Gazin, and Chile's Concha Y Toro.

He is a low profile oenologist whose wine philosophy is primarily based on the accentuation of the terroir elements. The friendship between the two colleagues, Iatrides and Boissenot, dates back to the time when they both studied at the faculty of oenology at the University of Bordeaux. Their relationship now seems poised to become one of a professional nature from the next harvesting season. As a first reaction, Eric Boissenot was positively surprised by the evaluation of the property's ground and climatic elements; the wineries wine production processes and infrastructure. He stated that he views his involvement in the wine production at the Alpha Estate as a challenge.

This is just another sign that the quality of some Greek wines has skyrocketed in the last few years. It also shows that the people responsible for this success do not rest, but push further to keep this important process going on.

Meeting with Joanna Locke, MW, at the Wine Society UK

On the 26th of May I had the great pleasure of presenting some Greek wines to Joanna Locke, Master of Wine, at the Wine Society in Stevenage, UK. I woke up at 04:30 am and made my way to the Athens airport. I arrived in London Stansted at 09:30 am local time, boarded the Stansted Express into London Liverpool Street, took the tube to London's King Cross and from there the train to Stevenage. I met Jo at 1 pm and presented three wines each from two estates: From Parparoussis (1) Nemea Reserve 2003 (100% Agiorgitiko), (2) Taos 2004 (100% Mavrodaphne), (3) Muscat of Rio 2003 (sweet white from 100% Muscat of Rio of Patras). I also showed the Kokkalis range: (1) Mova 2006 (Agiorgitiko, Cabernet Sauvignon), (2) Syrah 2006 (100% Syrah), Trilogia 2006 (100% Cabernet Sauvignon). All wines showed very well. Interestingly enough, the styles of the wines from the two winemakers come from opposite spectrums: Parparoussis produces very elegant, feminin wines that focus on the pure fruits, Kokkalis wines are powerful, concentrated and masculine. However, all wines were very seductive. The bottles were opened there, so the wines really did not have time to settle and breathe properly. Luckily Jo told me that she likes to evaluate wines over a minimum 24-hour period, revisting them several times to see how they evolve. I find this to be a very honest process of evaluating wines, rather than just having a quick swirl and sip.

Jo is a very charming and warm person with about two decades of wine experience - I believe she became a MW in 1990, and also chaired the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2008. It is so nice to see that one is still able to find professional wine-buyers that are very much down to earth and who simply love the work they are doing, especially in today's market environment. I am glad that she took the time to see me, and found our discussions very helpful.

After our meeting, I visited the wine shop of the Wine Society (this is the only shop in the UK, a second one operates in France), where only members can make purchases. I made my way back to the airport (via the same route I came in) and arrived back home in Athens at 02:30 am. Quite a long day, but very much worth the effort.

Invitation at Ktima Tselepos

Yiannis Tselepos invited me for talk and food to his estate in Rizes, very close to Tripoli, on the 19th of May. It was a hot, but extremly windy day, I could not go faster than 120 km/h on the motorway. After I arrived at the winery, Yiannis took more than an hour to show me his vineyards. The altitude is about 800 m, and there are a total of 50 ha, plus another 30 ha of forest. On the photo on the left the city of Tripoli can be seen in the background. I turned around in any direction, and all I could see was the vast territory of the Tselepos estate. It it an amazing sight! Up to 25 employees work in the vineyards, and all work is done by hand. For example, weed is pulled out by hand only - quite a task for such a large area. Grape varieties are Moschofilero, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, newly planted Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil consists of schist. Tselepos also owns 8.5 ha of the Driopi Estate in Nemea, where Agiorgitiko is planted. Included in the vineyards in Rizes is a beautifully built private church with hand-painted pictures of wine related biblical themes. In addition, a mill from 1780 was restored, this is yet another showpiece. Yiannis told me that he wanted to show me everything so that I get a feeling for the man behind the label, he does not usually show people around. I was very impressed, the love for even the smallest detail cannot be missed. He lives and breathes wine and certainly is extremly passionate. We then drove to Tripoli and had a light lunch in the oldest taverna in town (1933). Food was perfect, oven baked anchovies, beet and wild mountain herbs. We drove back to his estate and had coffee there. He is also currently building a new winery plus cellar from scratch. Work should be completed this year. As a summary, this is a very serious estate where the passion for wine is matched by the meticulous work in the vineyards.

Visit at Christos Kokkalis

On the 15th May I made my way to Skafidia to pay another visit to Christos Kokkalis. It is always such a pleasure to spend some time with him! The car journey was very pleasant. May is such a nice month, as everything is in full bloom, the landscapes are beautiful to look at. After the 3 1/2 hour journey, I arrived around midday. Christos's sister and niece had stayed with him for the last days and we drove them to Pyrgos where they wanted to catch the bus to Athens. Afterwards we made our way to the sea and had a nice lunch at a fish taverna, which was followed by a relaxing siesta at Christos's house. Late afternoon we drove to his vineyard, the one where I planted vines in March. They had already grown nicely, most were about 20 to 30 cm in height. Christos showed me how to thin out the vinebranches and leaves from the Syrah vines that were growing vigorously (they were planted 7 years ago). I love learning about the work in the vineyards, and I feel very privileged having such a great teacher! At about 10 pm we went to a restaurant where some friends of Christos were waiting for us. It was a great evening, I had brought along a bottle of Kuehling-Gillot Kreuz Spaetburgunder 2006, which Christos really liked. He brought a bottle of his Trilogia 2006 - what a wine! The nose was full of cassis and coffee, it is extremly rich on the palate with bags of tannins. This is the best Trilogia to date, we were all struck by its density. Christos also brought a bottle of Volnay Marie Mairgnot Les Chenes Premier Cru 1997. It had a bit of a rough time as we served it after the Trilogia, nevertheless it was a good wine that it is still going. I stayed overnight at Christos's house and we went to bed about 1:30 am. In the morning we had breakfast and coffee, some more discussions about Greek wines, and I left at 09:30 am and made my way back home.

Visit from Kostis Dalamara

This morning I was visited at my home by Kostis Dalamara from the Dalamara Estate in Naoussa. The Dalamara Estate has been handed down from generation to generation since the 1840s. Kostis is the 22-year old son of Yiannis and Katerina. He is currently living in Beaune, he studied oinology for two years in France and is now completing a further year of work there. 80% of the grapes grown at the 3 ha Dalamara Estate are Xinomavro, with further plantings of Assyrtico, Malagousia, Roditis, Merlot, Cinsault and Negoska. The work is fully biological. Kostis is driven by a desire to learn, it was his own choice to go to France and study there. He spent 6 months in the country to learn the language, before starting university. He is a great example of the next generation of vintners who will stop at nothing to further improve the quality of the wines produced. He kindly brought a bottle of 100% Negoska 2007, that was just bottled 6 weeks ago. Only about 600 bottles of this wine are produced, and all of them are sold to the US. We had a very good discussion about Greek wines and I am really glad that he made the effort to visit me.

Articles by Mark Squires

Mark Squires, who among other countries covers Greece for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, kindly gave me permission to link two articles he published and that are well worth reading.
Greece's North: Xinomavro
Santorini: Not just for the panoramas....go for the wine!
Thank you very much Mark!

Visit at Ktima Palivou in Nemea

I just returned from Nemea, where I once again visited Ktima Palivou. I spend about two hours with Georgos Palivos, and time just flew by. He took me to his vineyards that start at about 320 m above sealevel and go all the way up to 520 m. The soil is extremly stony and rocky, the vines certainly struggle to dig their roots deep down. Georgos told me that they had to split lots of large rocks with heavy machinery before any vines could be planted. One can see the terroir and the different coloured soil structures just by looking down the slopes. These are the perfect soil conditions for Agiorgitiko. The top part of the plot is used only for the premium wine. Georgos has also used a small plot at the lower end to create a "vine museum". He has planted up to 60 extremly rare vine varieties, including the white Xinisteri. After we went back to his estate, he presented me with a barrel sample of an experimental wine - only 3 barrels exist. It is two thirds Agiorgitiko, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The nose was very open and bursting with fruit aromas, spices and vanilla. It was full bodied and dense, the finish went on and on - a great wine in the making. He also let me presented me with another barrel sample - again only 3 barrels produced - of a 1999 sweet red wine. 10 years and still in barrel! This was even more complex, with a very open nose of red fruits and raisins, great on the palate, again full bodied, but also with a very elegant signature. The finish was extremly long and it was hard resisting to empty the glass (but it was just midday). Two great wines!

Lunch with Kokkalis at the Codice Blu in Kolonaki

On the 1st May I met Christos Kokkalis for a late afternoon lunch at the Codice Blu Restaurant in the trendy Kolonaki area in Athens. Christos was still in town, and we decided to get together for some more discussions about Greek wines. One of his two lucky agents who distribute tiny quantities of his wines in Greece, Kostas Boutopoulos, also joined us. It was a nice sunny afternoon, and we sat outside. We enjoyed some pizzas and two bottles of Mova. It was a very relaxing atmosphere and we spend three hours at the restaurant. Afterwards me in Christos went to have some coffee. Christos is such an entertaining character, it always a great pleasure to spend some time with him. We had some more fruitful discussions, and I deeply appreciate his insights and thoughts.

Meeting with Greek winemakers

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of welcoming a number of Greek winemakers at my home. Apostolos Thimiopoulos flew in from Thessaloniki, Christos Kokkalis and Thanassis Parparoussis shared a taxi from Pyrgos/Patras, Antonis Papantonis came from Nemea and Dimitris Gouravas from Athens. The first person arrived at 09:30 am, the last left at 08:00 pm - we used the whole day to discuss the promotion of Greek wines abroad. It was a very fruitful meeting, as many issues were tackled in great detail. My wife and my sister-in-law prepared great food, and I served the following wines from my cellar: A magnum of Zwalu 2003 Neil Ellis/Werner Naekel, single bottles of Masseto 2001, Casanova di Neri Pietradopice 2001, Casanova di Neri Brunello 2001, and for dessert Parparoussis Mavrodaphne 2003. This was a superb meeting and an important step to make Greek wines better known abroad. It is extremly important to work together as a team and I am very greatful for all the support I received. And of course it is always extremly useful to get the insights and honest thoughts of the people who spend their lifetime making the fascinating product called wine!

Skouras 2008 Rosé

Made from a blend of Roditis and Agiorgitiko. The colour is a light shiny piggy-pink. The nose is full of melon and raspberries, light but exotic. The palate consists of lots of fresh raspberries and ripe melon. The wine has a beautiful acidity and quite a good length, very elegant in style. The aftertaste brings back the ripe and exotic fruits, this is simply delicious. 16

Ktima Palivou, Vissino 2008 Rosé

This is a blend of Agiorgitiko and Syrah. The colour is a bright medium deep violet. The nose is very forthcoming and consists of cherries, stawberries and caramel. The wine is rich on the palate with lots of red summer fruits. The acidity and tannins are noticeable, but are perfectly balanced. This has its own character, it is rich but refreshing at the same time. It is beautifully made - a top notch pink wine! 16.5

Sabanis Collection 2008 Rosé Syrah

The maceration lasts for nine hours, the fermentation takes place at low temperatures, it is then matured on the lees. The colour is fairly deep for a pink wine, the bright and shiny strawberry red reminds of a Beaujolais. The nose is full of cherries and plums. There are lots of red summer fruits on the palate, with a tingling acidity. The finish has a good length, this is very good value for money. 14.5

Gaia 14-18 h, 2008 Rosé Agiorgitiko

The Gaia 14-18 h takes its name from the fact that it is macerated for fourteen to eighteen hours on the skins. This has always been one of my personal favorite Greek pink wines: It has a medium deep bright pink/violet colour. The nose smells of fresh stawberries, cherries, and apples. The wine is extremly refreshing on the palate, and it has a juicy acidity. This is a very well made pink wine from Agiorgitiko, and the winemaker succeeded in bringing out the pure fruit aromas that this grape variety exhibits. Simply delicious. 16

Ktima Ligas Rodandos 2008

The warmer time of the year is approaching fast, and one of the best treats is a glass of pink wine. Greece offers many styles of pink wines, the aromas and flavours of the different grape varieties used are stunning. I will write a mini-series of tasting notes on Greek pink wines, starting here with a 2008 Rodandos from Ktima Ligas. It is made from biological grown Xinomavro and Merlot grapes. The medium deep colour is similar to that of pink rose petals. It is bright and clean. The nose is quite open and reminds of freshly picked strawberries and clementines - very inviting indeed. The palate is dominated by a rich flavour of fruits, very fresh, again the red fruits are joined by citrus flavours. The soft acidity works very well with the residual sugar. A lovely wine. 15.5

Meeting with Julia Harding, Master of Wine, in London

I just came back from a 5-day trip to London, where I took my three eldest children for a Easter treat. We stayed with different friends and I took my kids to all the tourist attractions -

a double-decker bus tour, Tower of London, Natural History Museum, London Aquarium, London Eye, Science Museum, Musical (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat), Primrose Hill...

On 15th April, which was our last night, I had booked a room at the Hyatt Andaz Hotel in Liverpool Street. Actually, we were upgraded to stay at a suite, which was perfect. I did bring 6 different wines along from Athens, as I had arranged to meet with Julia Harding, Master of Wine and the right hand of Jancis Robinson , Master of Wine. I arrived at the hotel at 6 pm and went to their flagship restaurant 1901 to see the sommelier. Joris Beijn is the head sommelier and wine buyer at the Andaz. I explained my plans and he was extremly helpful: He decanted the 5 red wines, cooled the white wine, organised a large private table at the 1901, provided glasses and spittoon - I am extremly grateful for his efforts. Joris simply wanted to help, and he went out of his way to provide the best service. Julia arrived at 8 pm and we made our way to the 1901. Julia was impressed with the venue and the setting, and was delighted to see a spittoon :) I did bring the following wines, which were tasted in this order:

1. Palivou Estate - Terra Leone - Ammos reserve - 2005 - Agiorgitiko
2. Parparoussis - Taos - 2004 (released in 2008) - Mavrodaphne
3. Dalamaras - Paliokalias - 2006 - Xinomavro
4. Thimiopoulos - Ghi ke Uranos - 2006 - Xinomavro
5. Kokkalis - Trilogia - 2006 - Cabernet Sauvignon
6. Claudia Papayianni - Claudia Papayianni white - 2007 - 40% Malagousia, 30% Assyrtico, 30% Chardonnay, 4 month aged in oak

We spent two hours tasting and discussing the wines. It was extremly interesting to see how a busy Master of Wine with lots and lots of tasting experience is evaluating the wines. Julia has a great personality and shared all her thoughts. She liked all the wines and of course wrote down her tasting notes in private, so no insights from me on scores etc ;) But this was not the reason I wanted to meet her anyway. I wanted to show her wines from Greece that only few people know abroad. Wines that show their terroir. Wines one can talk about for more than just a few minutes. I believe I have succeeded in doing so. I can only reveal that Joris, who tried all wines before decanting them, was extremly fond of the Parparoussis Taos and the Kokkalis Trilogia. Julia commented on the Papayianni white that she was impressed with the density and the aromas of the wine (note: the vines are all still very young, as this is a fairly new estate), and that the world needs more wines like this in a similar price range.

When we finished the tasting after two hours, I left the opened wines with Joris to enjoy them with his staff. I had to rush back to my room, where the DVD I had put on for my children just before I met with Julia had long finished. Luckily they were tired out from the days before and had gone to bed.

Julia, thanks for giving me the opportunity to show you some Greek wines! I had a great time that evening. Joris, thank you so much for your kind help, it was appreciated a lot!

Tasting Notes Mercouri Estate

Vassilis Papadopoulos is a sommelier and the co-owner of Kazakos Drink Bank, my favorite wine merchant in Athens. He gave me two bottles of wine to try. Both wines are from the Mercouri Estate. Vassilis tasted some experimental wines while visiting the estate and decided on the spot to purchase the whole production of 500 bottles each. These wines are therefore only available at Kazakos.

The first wine is a Refosco d.p. rosso from 2006. It has a superdark, rich and deep blackcherry colour. The rim just lightens up into a violet. The nose shows sweet red fruits, coupled with spices and it has gamey elements. Almonds, mocca and wild herbs are also included. It has a very mediterannean nose. As it starts to open up, there is a dense layer of burned earth, very intriguing, masculine and multi-dimensional. On the palate, the wine is medium-to full bodied. The fruits take control and lose their sweetness. Herbs and violets are there, also stewed plums. The tannins work well with the acidity. The finish is very long and the stewed plums return with the aftertaste. It is quite an explosive wine, a little unsettled or wild right now. It needs some more time in bottle - this will age gracefully. 18

The second wine is a Mavrodaphne 2005. It has a medium to dark redcherry colour with some watery purple on the rim. It has a very interesting nose of baked plums, but also a noticeable earthiness to it. There is a touch of sweetness and aromas of milk chocolate and truffels. It seems much more delicate and feminin in style when compared to the Refosco. It certainly has elegance. The palate confirms the nose. Stewed prunes, baked plums plus the truffels. The tannins are quite soft. There is a lot of fruit character, but not in a fresh summery style, rather autumn/winter style. The finish has a good length. The wine is very soft and elegant in style, it could use a bit more backbone, a little firmer structure. Delicious to drink now, I doubt that it will improve with further time. 16.5

I planted 1500 vines at Kokkalis

On Saturday, 28th March, I drove to Christos Kokkalis on a mission: He wants to plant new vines at two new plots at his vineyard. I arrived in the evening and we went out for a good meal, we brought along a bottle of his 2006 Syrah. We had a nice medium rare fillet - Christos said that he had shown the cook how to prepare the meat, because in Greece, it is usually cooked well done. I stayed at his house and we went to bed early, as a lot of work was waiting for us the next day.

We got up at 07:00 am, had a cup of coffee and went straight to work: First we collected the new vines, 600 Agiorgitiko, and the equipment, a small machine to drill the holes. It looked like a miniature version of a drill used to drill for oil, about 130 cm in height. Two workers joined us in the vineyard. First we had to measure the distance for the holes to be drilled: The rows were set 2.5 meters apart, the distance between the holes were set at 1 meter. One of the workers started to indicate the exact points where the next worker drilled the holes. Christos took the new vines and cropped the roots. I then planted the cropped vines into the holes. I had to make sure that the roots were firmly in the ground, using both hands to fill up the space with earth and pushing firmly into the ground, ensuring that no air pockets were left. The first third of the plot was quite stony; the second third was clay and the last part made up of sand. Amazing how the soil structure can vary within one plot of land of about 2000 square meters. The hardest part for me was the plantation of the vines in the clay part. How on earth could I ensure that no air pockets existed? Soon my hands were cracking open from all the firm pushing into the soil. The sweat was dripping and the work is actually quite exhausting from all the bending. I was congratulating myself that I have been practising Yoga on a daily basis for the last 3 years; otherwise my back would have certainly made much more trouble. At midday, we took a 30-minute break to eat some food. Christos was very pleased with the soil structure. He explained that the stony part will be responsible for a mineral character in the grapes, the clay adds a firm texture, and the sand will produce elegance and finesse. This was the second time that I have seen true terroir in Greece! We finished the work in the afternoon, then we organised a tractor to work the soil of the second plot of land. We left at about 0530 pm. I decided to stay overnight and to help Christos again on Monday. We were both exhausted and Christos prepared a meal at his home, after which he fell asleep on the sofa at 0800 pm :)

The next morning we rose again at 0700 am and picked up the other vines: 400 Cabernet Sauvignon and 500 Syrah. We started work just after 0800 am. Christos showed me that the Cabernet vines had already began to grow, as the eye started to develop on quite a few vines. I had to be extra careful not to hurt the eye. The plot was mostly made up of earth and sand; and also some loam, about 3000 square meters. We all had learned from the day before, and the teamwork was excellent, allowing us to work at a much faster rate. It was quite a warm day. When I started to plant the first vines I told Christos that the soil was less interesting then on the other plot, as it felt so soft. He smiled and replied that once the moisture would be gone, the soil would become as hard as cement, making the vines struggle to reach deep down with their roots. "Wine produced from this plot will be very elegant indeed, and I hope that I live long enough to be able to taste it. The other plot where we planted the Agiorgitiko also has a fantastic soil structure, it might produce such good quality grapes that I might decide to bottle a single vineyard Agiorgitiko."
We finished work in the afternoon and drove to his house where he gave me my reward for my work - a magnum of Trilogia 2005, and a bottle each of Trilogia 2006 and Syrah 2006 - I had a great time and learned a lot about the physical side of the wine business. I drove back home and arrived about 3.5 hours later. My children could not believe how dirty I was.

Visit from Antonis Papantonis

The 25th March is a public holiday in Greece, and I was very pleased to welcome Antonis Papantonis from the boutique winery Papantonis at my house. The estate's red wine is made from 100% Agiorgitiko and is not easy to find, as a large percentage of the production is sold to private clients. The wine is aged for 16 months in French oak, 20% of which is new. It is very enjoyable to drink young, but can easily be kept for 6 to 8 years.

Dinner with Apostolis Thimiopoulos

Apostolis Thimiopoulos was in Athens on the 20th March. He flew in from Thessaloniki and had a meeting with US wine importers at the Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens. I picked him up later in the day in Kifissia and we drove to my home. I prepared some stuffed lemons and we also enjoyed some crayfish and a selection of cheeses with fresh bread. I opened a bottle of 1999 Falletto from Giacosa and we had a lovely time. Apostolis is currently completely sold out of his 2006 Ghi ke Uranos. The 2007 will go on sale in September, so all we can do is wait for its official release. His export market is very healthy indeed, and his wines are particular successfull in the US, where it is sold by the name Uranos. He kindly brought me bottles of the 2006 and 2007 vintages, both which are stunning wines, 100% Xinomavro. We only had a couple of hours before he had to go to the airport, and we had a lively discussion about Greek wines. Apostolis is very passionate about the work in the vineyard and this is certainly reflected by the outstanding quality of his wines.

Detrop - Oinos Wine Exhibition in Thessaloniki

On the 7th March I visited the Oinos exhibition, part of the Detrop 2009 in Thessaloniki. About 20 wineries showed their wines to the public. The event was very well organised, and the hall was very spacious. Every winery had large stands, and there were also a number of wine book and wine magazine publishers. The event was special, as it was not overcrowded and the vintners had actually time to discuss their products. I left Thessaloniki early afternoon and drove back to Athens to arrive early evening. The next morning, I drove to the airport and flew to Germany for a 5 day business trip.

Lunch with Christos Kokkalis at Grada Nuevo Thessaloniki

On the 6th March I met Christos Kokkalis first for a coffee, then for a 5 hour lunch at the Grada Nuevo restaurant in Thessaloniki. The restaurant has its own wine cellar and the wine list has a great selection. The owner brought us small plates of different food, everything was extremly delicious. We did not order anything from the menu, instead trusting the owner's selection of dishes. We had a lovely time, discussing wines, work in the vineyards, the Greek and foreign taste for wines etc. Time was simply flying by. I spend annother great day with a great man!

Wine Dinner at the ArtO2 Teloglion Thessaloniki

On the evening of 5th of March I had the pleasure of attending a wine dinner at the ArtO2 Ristorarte Teloglion in Thessaloniki. I was very much looking forward to this occasion, as Christos Kokkalis and Apostolis Thimiopoulos were organising the event. In total we were 10 people. Christos had some Greek friends visiting from Germany, who brought some great bottles of Riesling (3) and a Pichler Smaragd along. They also surprised with a bottle of 2005 Bad Boy by Jean Luc Thunevin. We started dinner at 9 pm and the food was stunning. A total of 10 small and delicious courses were served with a different wine for each. Apart from the above mentioned wines, we tasted the Gris de Noir from Antonopoulos, a 2005 Ghi ke Uranos brought by Apostolis Thimiopoulos, a 2006 Nova from Christos Kokkalis, a Muscat Rio Patron 2003 from Parparousis, and a Bollinger Champagne. Every person at the table was a wine lover, so the conversation was all about Greek wines. What a pleasant evening it was - great company coupled with delicious food and great wines. The evening lasted until 2 am and I am glad I made new friends.

Claudia Papayianni, Arnea

On the 5th March I visited Claudia Papayianni and her father at her estate in Arnea, Chalkidiki. Claudia's mother is German, her father is Greek. She started to create a 25-hectare vineyard at an altitude of 650 m in 2003. She organically grows Malagousia, Assyrtico, Xinomavro and other regional varieties. At the end of 2006 the construction of a 3300 square meter winery started. The result is a state of the art showpiece. Claudia is a perfectionist. Her work is driven by attention to the smallest detail. The winery includes offices, a tasting room, a shop where the wines can be purchased, a wine-theater in the size of a cinema room with a screen and a glasswall that opens the view directly into the winery, an area where the temperature of each tank and the whole winery is computer controlled, a large cellar and an adjacent cellar room with space to keep older vintages. The outside area includes a large terrace with a BBQ, so that visitors can easily be entertained with food and wine. I was impressed by the sheer size of it all. This is a place I can highly recommend for anyone to visit.

Thimiopoulos, Trilofo

On the 4th March I had an appointment to meet Apostolis Thimiopoulos at his family's estate in Trilofo, about 15km south of Naoussa. I arrived a bit early and was greeted by his father, who took me straight into the family's house where his wife prepared home made food. While we dipped our forks into at least 6 or 8 different dishes, Apostolis' father told me a lot about their work in the vineyards. I learned many new quite technical Greek winemaking terms :) He also went to the cellar and opened a magnum of 2000, from a time where the wine received no oak treatment at all. The wine was still very fresh and showed a lovely pure fruit aroma. I admired it. The winery produces only one label: Ghi ke Uranos, 100% Xinomavro. Ever since Apostolis, who studied oinology in Athens, arrived at the winery to help his father, this wine has been an instant success story. It is a true terroir wine and is compellingly elegant in style. There is next to no interfearence in the winery, all the work takes place in the vineyards. When Apostolis arrived at the winery, he showed me a detailed map of the vineyards included in the Naoussa area. The map showed the different soil structures, and the Thimiopoulos' vineyards showed a remarkable variety of stony and chalky soils. He took me for a walk through the vineyards, and showed me the different soils - amazingly, the soils in the vineyards are structured like a mosaic - blue here, red there, white chalk two rows down - just incredible. Apostolis knows every spot in the vineyards, and he is a big believer in terroir. He is already experimenting with single vineyard samples. He is also a true believer when it comes to grape varieties. "Xinomavro is the grape of the Naoussa area, here exists the terroir for this grape. Why on earth has it become such a fashion to plant international grape varieties? We will always just work with Xinomavro in our vineyards, because this is why we can create great wines, because the terroir can work magic here." His father fully supports this view. The pair is nearly obsessed with quality - and the results show. The first Ghi ke Uranos appeared with the 2004 label, it swiftly made headlines. I was fortunate enough to taste the 2005, 2006, 2007 and barrel 2008 at the estate, the quality is there in every vintage, but the 2008 seems to be yet another step up. Apostolis even was eager to show me different cask samples of the 2008, one that was just racked, one that had just spent some days with the skins... The wines are extremly elegant - no over-ripeness, no tricks, just simply purity. Today I experienced first hand that great terroir exists in Greece.

Dalamara, Naoussa

Apostolis Thimiopoulos arranged for a visit at his friend Yiannis Dalamara in Naoussa. The Dalamara family has been involved in wine production since the 1840s. The winery today is still family-run and the production is totally organic. Yiannis and his wife Katerina, together with their son, live and breath their work in the vineyards. They also transformed part of their estate into a beautiful small wine museum, with old tools and barrels used and made by Yiannis' grandfather. The tasting and dining room is very cozy with a lot of attention to bring a rural setting alive. I had a lovely time there, tasting the wines, while Katerina used the open fire place to grill cheese, sausages and meats. Yiannis showed us a range of different vintages, including barrel samples, of his wines. The white is a blend of Malagousia, Assyrtico and Roditis. Yiannis produces an unoaked version, as well as a barrel fermented one. The wines were aromatic, textured and showed broad flavours. The oaked version just had a hint of oak, as Yiannis wishes to add a very carefully grafted different dimension to the wine. There are two red wines, first the Ampelonas Dalamara, a blend of 80% Xinomavro with 20% Merlot. The flagship wine is called Palaiokalias and is 100% Xinomavro. Both wines are very elegant in style and show full aromas of red berries. The Ampelonas had a very nice coffee and chocolate nose, being influenced by the Merlot blend. The Palaiokalias showed off magnificent pure fruit flavours. After 3 hours, Yiannis said that the 2006 Palaiokalias just had opened up completly. He is a big believer that Xinomavro needs a lot of time and air to bring out its best. In his view, it is wasted if drunk straight after being opened. The Dalamara winery is a serious producer and it is well worth seeking their wines out.

Meeting with Dimitris Gouravas

On the 25.02. I gladly welcomed Mr. Dimitris Gouravas at my home. Mr. Gouravas holds a PhD in Oenology from the University of Bordeaux, France, and sits on the panels of judges of various wine competitions all over Europe. He is a flying winemaker and handles various wineries at different times of the harvest. He is the general manager of the Michalakis estate, is in charge of 7 wineries of Boutari, as well as being the Oenologist for Alagiannis, Claudia Papayianni, Sabanis and the Malta based Dacroutos. In the past, he worked at Chateau Climens in Barsac. We discussed the Greek wine market in great detail, and it became clear that we both share the same vision, enthusiasm and love to promote Greek wines abroad. Mr. Gouravas is a very much down to earth person with a deep knowledge of his work, and it was entertaining and enlightening to share our thoughts.

Dionysia - Athens Wine Festival 2009

The Dionysia took place 20,21,and 22 February at the Zappeion Megaro Hall in Athens. More than 150 Greek winemakers presented their wines. I visited the exhibition and tasted more than 170 wines from 31 wineries, concentrating on estates that are not yet well known abroad, new establishments, up and coming wineries, as well as wineries where the quality has improved a lot over the last few years. I also tasted just a few wines from well established wineries, rather than their whole range. I found a consistent good quality across the board, there were no disappointments. The whites were all good to very good, most reds were also good to very good and some were stunning. There were quite a few newcomers that were able to show good quality wines, even though the vines were fairly recently planted. One can be very optimistic for the improvements that will take place once these vines become more mature. I will be posting my tasting notes alphabetically on an estate to estate basis, including information on the grape varieties used for each wine. There will be a score on a scale up to 20, but please bear in mind that this is included only as a reference. The important point is not the score, but rather the general description of the wine.

Aivalis, Nemea

2007 Nemea Aivalis, red - Nemea AOC, 100% Agiorgitiko 16.5
Medium deep cherry colour with a young infant rim. Animal nose with red berries and coffee. On the palate it is good structured with red berries and a layer of earthiness. Medium bodied with a long finish. AVIN1183138181083
2007 Monopati, red - Nemea AOC, 100% Agiorgitiko 17.5
Dark and intense purple colour. On the nose it shows a great earthiness and spices. Full bodied with red berries, earth and spices. Round and full with a long finish. This will keep 10 plus years. AVIN9505251576096
2006 Merlot Aivalis, red - VdP Corinthos 16
Bright red cherry red, medium deep. The nose shows good levels of red fruits, also rich earthiness. Full bodied with lots of tannins, this needs more time in bottle to settle down. AVIN9837832417451

Biblia Chora, Kavala

2007 Ktima Biblia Chora Chardonnay, white - VdP Paggeo, 100% Chardonnay 17
Medium deep straw colour. Lots of exotic fruits on the nose, very open. Medium weight on the palate with melon, banana and peach flavours. Well balanced with a long buttery finish. AVIN9600557588986
2007 Ovilos White - VdP Paggeo, 50% Semillion, 50% Assyrtico 18
Pale silver colour. Very expressive nose of white peaches and mangos. Full bodied and rich on the palate, again peach and mango, also butter. Very long finish. AVIN3637756143018
2005 Ovilos Red - VdP Paggeo, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 16.5
Medium deep red cherry colour with a purple rim. Nose of dark chocolate and coffee. Elegant in style, fruit ladden on the palate with soft tannins. AVIN0058903365108
Ktima Biblia Chora Sweet - Natural Sweet, 100% Gewurztraminer 13.5
Light silver/straw colour. Spicy Gewurztraminer nose, medium rich on the palate, quite a modern style. Missing a bit more depth. AVIN2729574064314

Emery, Rhodes

2008 Athiri Mountain Slopes Emery, white - Rhodos AOC, 100% Athiri 15
Pale lemon/gold colour. Nice fresh and elegant fruit character on the nose. Medium bodied with white fruits and butter. Quite fat in the mouth. Good finish. AVIN7800925524970
2008 Villaré Emery, white - Rhodos AOC, 100% Athiri 17
Medium deep lemon colour. Deep and interesting nose of white and exotic fruits. Burgundy like richness on the palate, lychees and butter. AVIN5765876293950
2008 Granrosé Emery - Rosé, VdP Dodecannese, 100% Amorgiano (Mandilaria) 14
Medium deep pink. Very floral nose. Also fruit characters on the palate, well made. AVIN7243227626391
2007 Efreni, sweet white - VdP Dodecannese, 100% Muscat blanc a petits grains 15
Medium deep lemon colour. Fresh honey on the nose. Very balanced on the palate, not sticky, finish is of medium length. AVIN6451000485245
2006 Zacosta Emery, red - Rhodos AOC, 100% Amorgiano (Mandilaria) 16.5
Pale brick red colour. Gentle red berry flavour, soft and feminin. On the palate the red berries take control, this is very pleasing. An elegant style with a descent finish. AVIN9908846820404

Gentilini, Cephalonia

2008 Gentilini Robola, white - Robola of Cephalonia AOC, 100% Robola 15.5
Silver colour. Citrus nose with hints of ananas and peaches. Very explosive in the mouth with a rich and firm structure. AVIN4004959712126
2008 Gentilini Robola Cellar Selection, white - Robola of Cephalonia AOC, 100% Robola 17
Single vineyard selection from vineyard of 800 m altitude. Very pale watery colour. Deep nose of citrus and flowers. Very expressive on the palate. Perfect acidity leads to an excellent finish. Well worth seeeking out. AVIN2398549008884
2008 Gentilini Aspro, white - Tsaoussi, Muscat of Cephalonia, Sauvignon Blanc 15.5
Pale lemon colour. Lots of fresh summerfruits on the nose. Very round on the palate with distinctive fruit flavours of ananas and peaches. Delicious. AVIN0047218863997
2007 Gentilini Red - Agiorgitiko, Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia 14
Deep black cherry colour. Nose of red berries, spices and toast. Medium bodied, red berries on the palate. Pleasant, drink young. AVIN9601227412327
2006 Gentilini Syrah, red - 90% Syrah, 10% Mavrodaphne of Celaphonia not rated
Very dark cherry red. A lot of spices and black berries on the nose, but something is quite volatile. Full bodied, spices and black berries. Very long with lots of oakiness. Something is not quite right so, as the volatile segments from the nose are also apparent on the palate.
2005 Gentilini Syrah Limited, red - 100% Syrah not rated
Only 2 barrels were produced. Deep purple colour. Very good nose, but again I get the same volatile part as with the Syrah 2006. Full bodied, lots of spices and pepper, vanilla, extreme long - a monster. I need to retaste the 2 Syrah wines, as they clearly have great potential, but the bottles served might not have been up to the usual standards.

Georgas, Spata

Dimitris Georgas is one of Greece's keenest followers of Biodynamism. He produces very good and honest wines.
2008 Ktima Georga, white - VdP Spata, 40% Assyrtico, 40% Malagousia, 20% Savatiano not rated
Dimitris Georgas only opened this bottle to give me an idea of the characteristics of the wine. He said that it needs at least another 3 months in bottle before it will reveal itself. Medium deep straw colour. Nose very closed right now. The texture is already there, with a good depth. This will become a rich wine.
2006 Georga's Family, white - VdP Spata, 100% Savatiano 15
Medium deep gold. Retsina like on the nose. Medium bodied with straw, hay and fruit aromas, good length. AVIN8345410060247
2006 Retsina Mesogeion, white - Traditional Appellation, 100% Savatiano 16
Medium deep straw/gold colour. Very rich Retsina nose. Medium bodied, dense but not heavy, this might be one of the top Retsina's from Greece. AVIN7849517061509
2007 SEiRA#3, red - 30% Merlot, 30% Syrah, 40% Savatiano 18
Very deep purple colour. Nose of stewed prunes. Very full on the palate, exploding with prune flavours. Coupled with a good level of acidity, this is very fine with a long finish. AVIN1994923988721
2007 Georga's Sweet Wine, white - 100% Savatiano 18
Toffee colour. Elegant nose of dried fruits and nuts. Very sweet on the palate with a good texture. Lots of raisin character with a very long finish. AVIN7087989860071

Gerovassiliou, Epanomi

2005 Domaine Gerovassiliou Evangelo, red - VdP Epanomi, Syrah, Viognier 17
Medium deep purple colour. Concentrated nose of black berries and earth. The palate also shows a deep earthiness and ripe black forest fruits. Very good finish. AVIN1968243302222

Harlaftis, Attica and Nemea

2008 Athanassiadi, white - Savatiano, Roditis 14
Pale lemon colour. This wine did not receive any oak treatment. Very floral nose, pleasing. Fresh on the palate with a nice flower flavour. AVIN4218083698328
2007 Domaine Harlaftis Chardonnay, white - VdP Northern Slopes of Penteli 14.5
Medium deep lemon colour. Clearly a typical ripe Chardonnay nose with exotic fruits and butter. Very pleasing on the palate. AVIN6656230392473
2008 Domaine Harlaftis Chardonnay, white - VdP Northern Slopes of Penteli 15
Pale lemon colour. Nose is much fresher than the 2007, also more depth on the palate. AVIN6551304171803
2006 Driino, white - VdP Northern Slopes of Penteli, 80% Chardonnay, 20% Assyrtico 15
Medium deep straw colour. The wine has been aged for one year in barrel. This shows on the nose, where the exotic fruits are combined with the oak and smoke flavours from the barrel. Very good palate with exotic fruits and a buttery finish. AVIN0426675319450
2006 Argilos Gi, red - Nemea AOC, 100% Agiorgitiko 16
Medium to deep purple colour. On the nose red berries and toast. Quite pronounced on the palate, with a thick layer of fresh red fruits. AVIN2101242724322
2006 Chateau Harlaftis, red - VdP Attica, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 15.5
Medium deep cherry colour. Nose is reserved, some cassis comes through. Full bodied with black berry fruits, cassis dominating again. Good finish. AVIN6423347555455
2003 Reserve, red - Nemea AOC, 100% Agiorgitiko 16.5
Deep purple colour. Only 5000 bottles produced, the wine spent 2 years in barrel followed by 1 year in bottle. Fine nose of red berries, oak and smoke. Very elegant on the palate with fresh strawberry characters. AVIN6713734897047
2003 Cava Athanassiadi, red - VdP Continental Greece, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah 16.5
Deep black cherry colour. Pronounced nose of black berries, spices and herbs. Fine on the palate, elegant and feminin in style, this is warm and generous. AVIN1854610459746

Hatzigeorgiou, Limnos

2008 Lagopati, white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 14.5
Sliver coloured, nose of summer flowers. Very fresh on the palate with hints of vanilla, dominated by floral characters. Good finish with a descent length. AVIN1773554054674
2008 Limnia Gi, white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 14
Pale watery colour, nose of fresh roses. Crisp and fresh with a good finish. AVIN0752900002805
2008 Limnios Ampelourgos, white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 15
Watery colour. Richer nose of flowers with hints of minerals. Fat texture, very good on the palate with flowers, minerals and stones. Good finish. AVIN6606584774746
2008 Kaviro, rosé - 50% Kalabaki, 50% Muscat 14
Pale pink colour. Pleasant flowery bouquet. Crispy and fresh on the palate, very good acidity levels. Very floral. AVIN8444986979073
2006 Piroessa, red - 100% Kalabaki 14.5
Medium deep red cherry colour with a pinkish rim. Lots of cherries on the nose. Medium bodied with fresh red fruits, soft tannins. Feminin in style. AVIN1766724121085
2007 Moschatos (Muscat) Hatzigeorgiou, sweet white - Limnos AOC, Natural Sweet, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 15
Pale straw colour. Honeysuckle on the nose. Fairly full bodied with flavours of dried fruits, sweet but not sticky. Medium length. AVIN4390434867055
2002 Ifestou Gnossi, sweet white - Limnos AOC, Natural Sweet, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 16
Medium deep gold colour. Sauternes like nose of honey and peaches. This was aged for 5 years in old barrels. Rich and full on the palate with peaches and nut aromas. Very fresh at the same time. Good long finish. AVIN2181613673459

Karadimos, Fthiotida

2008 Palaiokastra, white - VdP Slopes of Knimis, 65% Malagousia, 35% Assyrtico 14.5
Medium deep straw/silver colour. Rich and deep Malagousia nose with good fruit character. Medium bodied, fruity, buttery with a descent length. AVIN9186738775012
2008 Drios Malagousia, white - VdP Slopes of Knimis 16
Medium deep silver colour. Very pronounced nose of ananas and vanilla. Rich on the palate, with ananas flavours taking control, while toasted flavours linger in the background. AVIN5672399949632
2008 Neotia, white - VdP Slopes of Knimis, 100% Sauvignon Blanc 15.5
Very pale lemon colour. Very open nose, brimming with ripe fruits. Good depth on the palate, with ripe gooseberry flavours. Good and long finish. AVIN4645106565976
2008 Chilia Stafilia, white - VdP Slopes of Knimis, 70% Malagousia, 30% Sauvignon Blanc 15
Pale silver/lemon colour. Pear and butter flavours. Fresh and crisp on the palate. Well balanced. AVIN6933395807272
2008 Rosé Ktima Karadimou - 100% Aglianico 15
Medium deep bright strawberry colour. Floral nose with cherry and strawberry fruits. The palate confirms the nose, quite a rich rosé. AVIN0818846557448
2008 Chilia Stafilia, red - VdP Atalanti Valley, 50% Syrah, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 15.5
Deep purple colour. Although it was just bottled, the nose is quite open and shows spices and black berry fruits. Medium bodied and elegant in style, red and black berries, a charming wine. AVIN8891419494571
2006 Vissa, red - VdP Opoundia Lokrida, 100% Xinomavro 17.5
Medium to deep red cherry colour. Classic Xinomavro nose with red fruits and herbs. Complex and intriguing. Medium bodied, very elegant in style. Good structured with fine tannins, this will keep. Very good. AVIN3845280975900

Hatzidakis, Santorini

2008 Aidani-Assyrtico, white - VdP Cyclades, 90% Aidini, 10% Assyrtico 15.5
Medium deep straw colour. Nose of lychees. Very fruity on the palate, explosive and elegant at the same time. Also some minerals and stones. Good length. AVIN5143687376374
2007 Assyrtico, white - Santorini AOC, 100% Assyrtico 16
Pale silver colour. Nose of white fruits and minerals. Very fresh on the palate, fruit ladden, deep. Has a good and long finish. One can almost taste the sunshine the grapes received. AVIN0116191551730
2008 Santorini, white - Santorini AOC, 90% Assyrtico, 5% Athiri, 5% Aidani 16
Light lemon colour. Nose of bananas, lychees and ananas. Pure elegance on the palate. AVIN8968889857288
2007 Santorini Oak, white - Santorini AOC, 100% Assyrtico 16
Pale silver colour. Nose of minerals and fruits with a hint of oak. The barrel treatment adds just the right amount of oak flavour to the palate. Not everdone, it adds complexity to the character. Nice buttery finish. AVIN2965949247764
2007 Santorini Nikteri, white - Santorini AOC, 100% Assyrtico 16.5
Pale lemon colour. The nose has pure fresh white fruits. This has a touch more depth on the palate with very ripe fruit aromas, very elegant in style. AVIN2564088465710
2006 Mavrotragano, red - Experimental wine, 90% Mavrotragano, 10% Mandilaria 18
Very bright and shiny medium deep red cherry colour. Very open nose of cooked and jammy red fruits. Very refined on the palate with extracts of raspberries. Vibrant and elegant, long finish. The tannins are round, this wine will benefit from cellaring. AVIN3775616178845
2001 Vinsanto, sweet white - Santorini AOC, 80% Assyrtico, 20% Aidani 18
Deep caramel coloured. Nose of dried raisins, honey and peaches. The palate shows mouthwatering dried raisin flavours. Lasts long. AVIN5359223905728

Katogi Averoff - Strofilia, Epirus

2005 Floara di Munte sparkling white - Katogi Strofilia, Brut Sparkling Wine, 100% Debina 15.5
Watery colour. A lot of fresh fruits and butter character. Very well structured on the palate with a good depth and lemony aromas. A very different sparkling wine. AVIN1241436729151
2008 Strofilia white - Roditis, Savatiano 14.5
Light watery lemon colour. Good fresh summer fruits on the nose, also some butter. The palate is very fresh and more flower based with a crisp finish. AVIN3082457964415
2008 Moonlight Rosé - Strofilia, VdP Peleponnese, 100% Agiorgitiko 15.5
Piggy pink colour. Aromas of freshly cut strawberries. Fresh taste of ripe strawberries on the palate, a very delicious wine. AVIN5254057355933
2008 Katogi Averoff white - VdP Peloponnese, 75% Roditis, 25% Chardonnay 15.5
Watery lemon colour. Fresh floral nose, also some minerals. Medium bodied with a good long buttery finish. Like a Chablis, but dominated by a floral character. AVIN2515761235496
2008 Traminer white -Katogi Averoff, VdP Ionnina 16
The grapes come from vineyards that are 900 meters high. The colour is a pale lemon. The nose is made up of flower fields. The palate also shows wild flowers. A very balanced wine. AVIN869685584615
2008 Averoff Rosé - VdP Macedonia, Semi Dry, 100 % Xinomavro 14
Light to medium pink. A little reserved nose of summer fruits. The palate shows a bit more depth than the nose. AVIN0430739476164
2005 Bella Rossa Sparkling Rosé, Strofilia, Extra Dry Sparkling, 100% Agiorgitiko 17
Bright pink colour. Beautiful nose of fresh raspberries. The palate is very explosive and expressive, bone dry with the essence of raspberries. A very interesting sparkling wine that everyone should try at some point. Truly another dimension of a bubbly wine. AVIN4569360840696
2006 Strofilia red - VdP Peleponnese, 50% Agiorgitiko, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah 16
Medium deep to deep black cherry colour. On the nose black fruits, spices and earth. Medium bodied with prunes. Well structured with a good amount of tannins. AVIN9912788732879
2006 Katogi Averoff red - Cabernet Sauvignon, Agiorgitiko 14.5
Medium deep purple. Blackcurrant and strawberries with earthy notes. Medium bodied with toasted characters. Medium length. AVIN6916970753591
2005 Flogero red - Katogi Averoff, VdP Metsovo, 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 17.5
Medium dark with a purple rim. Classic nose of small red berries and blackcurrants. Full bodied, very impressive notes of prunes, blackcurrants and spices. Long finish. Will keep 10 years plus. AVIN1926654828908
2004 Ktima Averoff red - VdP Metsovo, 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and Merlot 17
This is from the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines that were planted in Greece. Medium dark purple colour. Aromas of mocca and chocolate. Full bodied with blackcurrants and earth, coffee and dark chocolate. Very long finish. This will also keep for 10 years plus. AVIN4853660513733

Katsaros, Larissa

2007 Ktima Katsaros white - VdP Krania, 100% Chardonnay 19
Light to medium silver colour. Very open and deep minerally flavours, a terroir wine. On the palate extremly rich, again dominated by minerals plus rich, exotic fruits. The finish is extremly long, a classic wine. AVIN2416501746534
2005 Ktima Katsaros red, VdP Krania, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot 18.5
Deep purple colour. Fine nose of blackcurrant, small black berries and coffeebeans. Deep an rich on the palate, one can really taste the grapes. Full bodied, full of tannins, very rich and the finish goes on and on. Again a classic wine that will keep for decades. AVIN8696773605201

Lazaridi Nico, Drama

2008 Magic Mountain white - VdP Dramas, 100% Sauvignon Blanc 17
Watery silver colour. Typical Sauvignon Blanc nose, quite open. The palate is very generous and rich with a lot of tropical fruits. It has an extremly long finish, textbook. AVIN5405836468010
2004 Perpetuus red - VdP Drama, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon 17
Medium red cherry colour, a lot of red berries with a toasted earthiness. After this there is a level of truffels and mushrooms. Full bodied, elegant, well structured with a long finish. AVIN7694213039129
2004 Magic Mountain red - VdP Drama, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc 18.5
Medium dark purple, nose is full of red and black berries, spices and vanilla. It is full bodied with a taste of truffels, spices and a lot of fruit flavours. Very long finish. AVIN9280298262361

Limnos Organic, Limnos

2008 Taxidi sti Limnos white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 14
Silver colour. Late harvested grapes, pronounced nose of flowers. The palate is very forthcoming with a good depth of floral notes. Good. AVIN9415509899535
2008 Proimos white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 13
Pale watery colour, earlier harvest than Taxidi sti Limnos. Quite open on the nose with fresh bouquet of flowers. Fresh and crisp on the palate, a bit one-dimensional. AVIN4858988722102
2008 Ampeloessa white - Limnos AOC, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 15.5
Light lemon colour. Bit more serious on the nose, the floral aromas are joined by stones. Also much more expressive on the palate with more depth. Good finish. AVIN9333122205116
2008 Rodon Rosé- Semi Dry, 75% Muscat of Alexandria, 25% Limnio 13.5
Medium deep salmon colour. The sweetness is easily detected on the nose. Has a rich floral aroma. It is a touch short on the palate, the nose is more expressive. Still a pleasant wine. AVIN6260052620388
2007 Ifestias red - 60% Limnio, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5
Medium deep brick colour. Aromatic on the nose with small red berry smell, also some oak flavours. It is medium bodied with a pleasant amount of fruits ans soft tannins. AVIN1824694416546
2007 La Terra sweet white - Muscat of Limnos AOC, Sweet, 100% Muscat of Alexandria 13.5
Faint light caramel colour. The nose shows flowers with a nutty character shining through. The palate starts quite rich, but the finish falls a bit short. AVIN7086780325307
2007 La Terra Grand Cru sweet white - Muscat of Limnos AOC, Natural Sweet, 100% Muscat of Limnos 14
Lemon colour. Open nose of honeysuckle. The palate is medium rich and pleasant. AVIN4911446197567

Lykos, Attica

2008 Grenache Rosé - 14
Pale pink colour. Reserved notes of flowers. Light to medium bodied, flowers break through on the palate. AVIN1669520044049
2007 Illiatoras Chardonnay - VdP Continental Greece, 100% Chardonnay 15
Silver/pale lemon colour. The wine spent 6 months in barrels. Clean and fresh nose of banana aromas. Fairly rich on palate with more exotic fruits. Will keep for a few years. AVIN0044777932386
2008 Panselinos white - VdP Continental Greece, 50% Assyrtico, 50% Sauvignon Blanc 16
Pale lemon colour. More depth on the nose than with the Illiatoras. Very floral. Medium bodied, with a fine palate, good acidity levels and some fatness. AVIN5881811585482
2006 Merlot Lykos red - VdP Continental Greece 100% Merlot 17
Medium dark red cherry colour. Very elegant nose of red fruits. Delicious on the palate with a good structure and full, round tannins. AVIN7586524995785
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon red - VdP Continental Greece, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 16
Medium dark. Very elegant fruit notes, some vanilla and cigarbox. Medium bodied and very elegant in style. A nice winter treat, very well made. AVIN3652457152893
2005 Panselinos red - VdP Continental Greece, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot 15.5
Medium dark brick red colour with some maturity on the rim. The nose shows a nicely matured Cabernet, with hints of oak. Very charming on the palate, feminin and elegant. Drinks very well now. AVIN2389575847035
2005 Kratistos red - Nemea AOC, 100% Agiorgitiko 16
Pale brick red colour with some maturity on the rim. The wine spent one year in barrel. It has a classic nose of ripe red fruits, elegant and feminin. The same goes for the palate, these are no blockbuster wines, instead the focus is on pure fruit essence and elegance. This wine would surely appeal to many British wine drinkers. AVIN5291765899953
2005 Melikos sweet white - Natural Sweet Wine, 100% Muscat d'Alexandrias 17
Soft caramel colour. Tokay like on the nose with dried raisins. Very well balanced with good acidity levels and bursting raisin essence, this is a treat. AVIN5064571912990

Manousakis, Crete

2007 Nostos Rousanne white - 100% Roussanne 16
Medium deep yellow gold colour. Fine nose of fresh grapes, vanilla, provence like in style. The palate is rich and buttery with a long finish. AVIN7518137201762
2007 Nostos Rosé - 45% Grenache, 55% Syrah 15
Light to medium pink colour. Very open nose of summerfruits and flowerfields. Medium bodied with a very fresh palate. Floral character, also raspberries. AVIN0795891516081
2006 Nostos Grenache red - 100% Grenache 16.5
Medium to dark blackcherry colour. Lots of herbs and black berry aromas. Medium to full bodied with hints of olives and truffels. AVIN3663046550693
2005 Nostos red - 42% Syrah, 38% Mourvedre, 18% Grenache, 2% Roussanne 18
Dark velvet colour with slight maturity on the rim. Very open nose full of herbs and spices. Palate is also dominated by the spices. Good levels of tannins, very long finish. AVIN8474717917029
2006 Nostos Syrah - 100% Syrah 18
Dark velvet colour with a purple rim. The nose shows a smoky spicyness, followed by dark red fruits. Full bodied on the palate with well structured tannins. The dark red fruits dominate the finish. AVIN0996836388217