Assyrtiko
Okay, so firstly I’m going to talk about Greek wine today. I’m going to talk about Assyrtiko and Santorini and you’re going to be confused. Why? Well most people don’t know they even make wine in Greece
Well friends, they make wine. They have been making wine for centuries. They transported grape vines to Italy and the Roman Empire transported them all over what is now known as Europe. The grape vine was then transplanted in many different countries following that, so there you go. Thank the Greeks for wine.
So why was their wine so bad for so long? I can’t answer that question, but I can say that Greece is part of a wine revolution and you all should know about it.
They grow many varietals in Greece and have a few different sub regions that produce wines that are some of the best in the word. Today let’s focus on one varietal, which is called Assyrtiko
That’s right; I’m going to talk about an obscure grape from Greece today instead of talking about Chardonnay from California. Why? Well it’s simple. It’s delicious, like outrageously good and most people have never had it before. It’s also different than your everyday white which obviously appeals to me and everyone else in the food and wine world.
If you have never been to Greece before and do not know Greek people there is basically no way you would know about Greek wine. Winemakers have been making outstanding wines from Greece for years and now people outside of Europe are tasting their work
So what is Assyrtiko? It’s a white grape, which is grown on the beautiful island of Santorini where they train their vines to grow in a circle making a basket. It is now planted across Greece, but originated on the island. The vine grows and the leaves protect the grapes from the hot sun and heat of the summer months. The result is a bone dry white wine, which is perfect with food and strong enough to have by itself.
The grape was first planted almost 100 years ago and survived phylloxera to stay an indigenous grape of Santorini. It is grown in volcanic soil that are rich with nutrients from previous civilizations, giving life to a plant that can survive in the most sparse of growing areas.
Since the vine has to work very hard to produce grapes, the wines are usually on the pricey side, so some restaurants serve it by the glass.
Tasting notes:
It is an extraordinary food wine, because of its acidity. The wine can be compared flavour wise to Sauvignon Blanc or Albarihno. It has floral characteristics as well as many citrus notes. It has high minerality in it, most likely due to the soil of the island.
It goes so well with seafood, because the vines are not far from the sea itself. You could also easily have this with chicken, pork or vegetarian dishes. It’s also great with light salads and green vegetables
If you are at the LCBO looking for a bottle, I would look for the PDO symbol, which is a designation of quality from Santorini. Some wines might be slightly oaked to add a different characteristic to the wine, but most of the time it is tank fermented.
*Serve it ice cold, it doesn’t taste the same if it is warm
Happy drinking!
For more information on the wines of Greece, here are a couple of links to get you more information
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