THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world” – E. Hemingway.
So, where does one go to taste the best wine Europe has to offer? Spain, France, Italy? Or perhaps, where the wine came to the Mediterranean, Greece.
WHERE?
What does Greece know about wine? Well, they have been producing it for more than 6,000 years.
Greek Wine (Ελληνικό κρασί).
Greek wine, or Ellinikó krasi in Greek, has more history than any of the other European countries.
The Greeks (Phonecians) brought wine production to Italy, then France, and finally Spain as they made their way west. So if you like wine from any of those regions, thank the Greeks.
What do the Greeks Know about Krasi?
Let’s start with experience. The Greeks were probably the first people in Europe to make wine.
The earliest evidence of krasi in Greece dates back 6,500 years ago. They were producing wine either for their family or local town. By the time the Roman Empire came along, the nobility was partial to Greek krasi.
Surely they were making wine in France long before the Greeks.
The Phoenicians (early Greeks) set out from Greece to explore new worlds.
In the 8th century BC, the Greeks are settling the southern regions of Italy. They call it Magna Graecia (Greater Greece). Wine grapes are growing wild. The Greeks bring the knowledge on how to make them into krasi.
In 600 BC, Ionian Greeks began the colony of Massalia (present-day Marseille,) making it the oldest city of France.
From Herodotus, we learn the first Greeks in Iberia (the Greek name for Spain) was around the year 640 BC.
To all of these new lands, the Greeks brought their winemaking, and to some, their grapes.
But the Greeks were not the only peoples moving into these areas you say. There were Celts and other tribes from today’s Baltic region.
But they did not have wine because they came from areas that were too cold (at that time) for the grapes.
So they made beverages from what they could grow like barley and hops.
The Greeks Do it First.
And as several members of my adopted Greek family tell me often, “They did it right.”
So, without getting too “Masters Class” on the subject, let’s try to figure out why Greek krasi is so right.
First, there are the climates. Greece is not all sun-baked islands with little white houses. Most people don’t realize there are several other climates in Greece.
- Northern Greece – Has the wine regions of Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace. They have a wet climate.
- Central Greece – Central Greece, includes Thessaly, and Attica on the mainland. They have a Modulating Mediterranean climate. They have mild, wet winter and hot, dry summers.
- The Aegean Islands – These are most of the islands to the east of mainland Greece. (Samos, Santorini, Límnos, etc.) They have an arid climate.
- Southern Greece – Stable Mediterranean: Crete, Peloponnese, and the Ionian islands to the west. They have dry, hot summers and cool mild winters with moderate or high rainfall.
Why is the climate important? Because the amount of sun and moisture impacts the grape juice the vintners will get when they squeeze them.
Land Ho!
Other major players in what grapes will grow in what area are the soil and terrain.
Northern Greece has more dirt, and the elevations range from the seaside to mountainous.
Central Greece has many areas above the coast elevation, but not mountainous.
Most of the islands have volcanic rock somewhere in their makeup.
All of these affect the taste of the wine.
Greek Krasi Grapes.
Some people say Greece has more than 350 native wine grapes. But other areas, especially along the Mediterranian, had their native grapes. Over the centuries, these would make their way to Greece. So although they have been growing in Greece for centuries, they are not originally native.
There are close to 200 grape varieties that do not seem to be immigrants. That’s not too shabby.
Unfortunately, many of the grapes do not make superior wine. And some require so much attention, that growing them in large quantities is not practical.
And sadly, some varieties have disappeared in time.
The great news, several of the smaller wineries are bringing grapes that were close to extinction back to life. You can drink krasi like its 1999 B.C.
Today, they are growing around 30 Greek Krasi Grapes for large production.
Greek Myth Conceptions.
All Greek wine tastes like pine trees.
Fortunately, that is not true. During WWII, the Germans were confiscating all the Greek wine for their consumption. The locals began adding pine sap to the wine, and the Germans stop taking it. By the end of the war, many Greeks have a taste for this wine as fresh as a Carolina morning.
Unfortunately, the British, American and other nationalities returning from their 1945 tour of Greece bring one message, Greek wine sucks. It will take Greece many years to outlive that misconception.
The Phylloxera epidemic of the 1850s did not hit Greece.
That’s not true. All the European countries touching the Mediterranian had various amounts of destruction. In Greece, it reaches as far south as the Peloponnese but never makes the jump to the islands. Luckily, Greece krasi did not suffer as much as France’s.
The Greek Assyrtiko grape, indigenous to Santorini, is the only European grapevine they know to be resistant to phylloxera. It may be the vine, but many studies point to the volcanic ash soil. Sandy soils do not hold the moisture the pests need to survive. Ash holds even less.
Greeks only make white Krasi.
Most of the krasi vines like soil with sand, silt, and clay. The wines from sandy soil often make “softer” wines with less color, lower acidity, and tannins. These are terms commonly referring to white wines. The majority of visitors to Greece visit Athens and the islands, with sandy soils. But the islands, Peloponesse and Northern Greece have thousands of acres of silty clay soil. And out of this soil come some Dionysus (Greek wine god) worthy reds.
The Greek red wines Agiorgitiko, Xinomavro, and Mavrodaphne, have P.D.O. and P.G.I. Status.
Some of the Greek P.D.O. and P.G.I. White krasi comes from assyrtiko, aidani, vidiano, and Malagousia grapes.
At last count, there were more than 30 P.D.O. wines and close to 60 P.G.I. wines in Greece.
Unfortunately, up until recently, most wines were for local consumption. Only a few were getting out of the region and even less to foreign shores.
Now, more than ever, the wines of Northern Greece are making their way south. The wines of the islands are reaching the mainland, and Peloponesse wine is everywhere.
Greek Krasi.
Who knew? Now that you do know go try some Greek wine. If your local wine store does not carry Greek wine, go to Greece. Or at least a nearby city with a Greek neighborhood.
In Greek, the word for “health” is Eyia – (Yah).
The word for “your” is su – (soo)
Yasou my friends.
To read more on Greek wine, click here.
“See the World” Continued on Page T3 “Taste the World” Continued on T11
PLEASE scroll down to the “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom and tell me your thoughts on:
“Have you ever had Greek wine? Where were you at the time?
Please help me spread the news by rating, commenting, and sharing this blog. – THANKS!