Greek Wines with Sophia AKA @skinandpulp
Have you tried Greek wine? If not, you’re missing out! I gathered with Sophia AKA @skinandpulp for an online virtual gathering & it was an absolute treat; expertly hosted with unusual, delicious wines!
As Sophia explained, Greece is one of the oldest wine producing countries but it’s relatively unexplored, with mostly bulk wine being produced to drink locally. Nowadays it’s exporting some delicious aromatic whites and age-worthy reds - and rosés, as this tasting uncovered!
Perfect for those new to wine, Sophia briefly took us through the basic principles of tasting - using the four S’s - See, Swirl, Smell & Sip! We then went on to taste three really interesting wines, with lots of detail on each, including maps to illustrate where they’re from.
This gathering was really well-balanced between being informative & fun - I particularly enjoyed that Sophia gave us time to consider the wines and chat amongst ourselves, which worked really well & made it feel so much more like a physical event than a virtual presentation!
Follow Sophia @skinandpulp to keep an eye out for future events & lots of great grape-related content!
What we learnt
‘Terroir’ is a French term used to describe the characteristics of a wine effected by the environment in which it’s produced, such as soil, climate & terrain
Greece has 200+ native grape varieties
Due to its unique terroir & climate most of these indigenous varieties aren’t grown successfully elsewhere
The number of Greek wineries has grown from around 70 in the 1980s to over 1,400 today.
The wines
Vakakis Winery, Pythagorean Pyramid Rosé 2017
Black & Blanc Muscat
From the island of Samos, off the western coast of Turkey, this rosé is a lovely shade of salmon but very different in style & is such a refreshing change! With distinct rose & violet aromas, it’s like drinking a delicate Turkish Delight which lingers long after the first sip.
£15.95 - skinandpulp.com
Domaine Nerantzi, Malagousia 2019
Made on the mainland in Serres from Malagousia, Greece’s ‘Cinderella’ grape, once almost extinct & now makes some of their finest wines. Stone fruit - peaches, apricots & honey balanced by a lovely minerality.
£16.95 - skinandpulp.com
Sant’Or, Krasis 2017
Mavrodaphne
A natural red wine, made with little intervention, it’s produced in the Achaia region, west of Athens, from fifty year old Mavrodaphne vines. It had a unique smell, a bit like a musty wardrobe! However, it tasted of cherries & strawberries & black pepper, with an earthiness to it. I can see why the grape variety is compared to Syrah.
£19.95 - skinandpulp.com
