13 March 2017

Greece Is Wine: forget, dare and believe

Another great piece of work from Greece Is, a Kathimerini publication has just been published both online and on paper the previous week. In his opening article, editor - in - chief Giorgos Tsiros calls for three things. To forget about the oxidized and bland wines of dubious origin, to dare and accept the challenge of exploring the diversity of Greek varieties and terroirs and last (but not least) to have faith. What is needed is simply to trust your nose and palate.

Well, I can't agree more as Greek wine is for me a rising star and a leading light for those looking for something beyond the expected and anticipated.

For many more people, Greek wine is actually the word, offering excitement, unique flavors, fantastic native varieties producing breathtaking wines from some of the best terroirs in the world. Mark Andrew MW recently commented in an interview he gave me in Athens that ''there are very few countries in the world blessed with genuinely exciting varieties like Greece; grapes that have the chance to present such greatness to the world and people should scramble to get their hands in these unique bottles. I know that certain Xinomavros will be high in terms of price in 5-10 years, like Assyrtiko is starting to get now, but I feel we are responsible for spreading this message about the uniqueness of Greek varieties and of some of the best terroirs in the world''.

This is the second edition of Greece Ιs and it can be found online at the following link http://www.greece-is.com/greece-wine-2017/ and in copy in premium locations in Greece such as Acropolis Museum, Museum of Byzantine Culture and City Tourist Information Center in Thessaloniki and in selected hotels and wineries. I suspect it will also be available in stands in Prowein.

There is a lot to explore and many interesting articles about the past, present and future of Greek wine to indulge in. You may read my contribution for the regional articles of Crete, Peloponnese, Central, Northern Greece, Aegean islands but also Ionian islands under the titles ''Gems of the Archipelago'' and ''The realm of Robola'' respectively. At the final part of the book which is the ''Experience'' section, the reader can discover all the tips of maximizing the enjoyment of the Greek way in food with brilliant articles about matching Greek varieties and food.

Αgain well done Greece Is, keep up spreading the word!