Today’s example of Xinomavro (a grape whose name translates to ‘sour black’) will appeal to fans of northern Italian Barolo, with its elegant power and its savoury complexity. It shines brightest in Naoussa in Macedonia in the far north of mainland Greece: similar expressions include Alpha Estate Axia (€26, blackrockcellar.com) and Magoutes Xinomavro ‘Siatista’ Rouge (€33, whelehanswines.ie).
Greece’s most common and versatile red wine grape, Agiorgitiko, is more accessible in price and in style – as per two examples here today. Not unlike Merlot, it typically produces fruity wines with soft tannins, and – in the right conditions, such as the higher-altitude slopes of Nemea in the Peloponnese peninsula – good acidity for refreshing balance.
O’Briens’s excellent Gaia Agiorgitiko (€21.95) is available via its app for €16.47.
Did you know?
Greek wines are incredibly diverse, with over 300 indigenous varieties grown in terroirs as varied as sandy islands to steep mountainside vineyards – and many wineries are open to visitors (see winesofgreece.org).
Wines of the weekThe weekend treat
Kanakaris Select Vines Agiorgitiko 2023
Kanakaris Select Vines Agiorgitiko 2023, PGI Peloponnese, Greece, 12.5pc, €24.95
An appealing wine for these mercurial months with its warmth and richness, this offers liquorice-spiced blackberry and plum notes with hints of coffee and dark chocolate, and smooth tannins thanks to six months in second- and third-fill barrels. From a third-generation family-run winery featuring grapes grown in Nemea in the 200-metre foothills of Mount Koutsi, this is a good-quality introduction to Greece’s workhorse red grape that is capable of complexity when handled well. The Corkscrew, Woodberrys, The 1601, Redmonds, McHugh’s, Mitchell & Son; mitchellandson.com
The crowd-pleaser
Moderne Allegorie Peloponnese Agiorgitiko
Moderne Allegorie Peloponnese Agiorgitiko, Greece, 13pc, €14.99
A good choice for a casual gathering, thanks to its pocket-friendly price and soft-edged, fruit-forward profile, with lots of ripe blackberry, plum and cherry and light smooth tannins. The Grapevine, Cooper’s, wineonline.ie
The gastro blowout
Kir-Yianni ‘Ramnista’ Naoussa Xinomavro
Kir-Yianni ‘Ramnista’ Naoussa Xinomavro, Macedonia, Greece, 14.5pc, €36
An elegant beauty, with fine firm tannins making it very food friendly, yet delicate and layered with sweet-savoury aromas of tomato leaf, cherry and red currant. JJ O’Driscolls (Cork), The Corkscrew, McHugh’s, Jus de Vine, Martins, thenudewineco.ie, wineonline.ie
Dining and Cooking