Greek Wine Explained 2026: Notes from the inside

By Yiannis Karakasis MW

I spend most of my year tasting Greek wine in a very specific way. Not to decide whether a bottle is simply good, but to understand why it tastes the way it tastes and whether that result can be repeated.

That distinction matters in 2026. Greek wine has earned visibility and respect in fine restaurants, specialised tastings, and increasingly in the cellars of collectors who barely knew how to pronounce Assyrtiko a decade ago. At the same time, the industry is operating under real pressure. Yields are shrinking, costs continue to rise, and the domestic market remains fragile. If we want a future that is more than a promising story, we need Greek wine to feel more real and less dependent on fantasy.

This is the starting point of Greek Wine Explained 2026, my third edition, expanded to 152 pages, the longest so far, created with the valuable contribution of Evmorfia Kostaki DipWSET. The report begins with facts because facts keep us honest. In the 2023 to 2024 season, Greek wine production fell to about 1.4 million hectolitres, a historic drop of over 30% compared to the previous year. Exports in 2023 reached roughly ninety-nine to one hundred million euros in value, rising despite lower volumes, suggesting that the average price per litre continues to grow. In Greece, per capita consumption is around 10 litres per year, of which about half is estimated to be bulk wine without standard packaging. This is one of our central paradoxes.

The global context adds urgency, but it also offers perspective. In 2024, global wine production fell to around 226 million hectolitres, the lowest in over 60 years, while regular wine consumption is structurally declining and shifting towards more occasional, more selective drinking. People who drink less expect more and scrutinise prices more carefully. Greece is not alone in this reality, but we must respond to it with discipline.

So, what does Greek Wine Explained 2026 do differently?