Referring to the wooden horse full of soldiers that led to the destruction of the city of Troy, Virgil, a Roman writer, quotes one of his protagonists saying something really scary in Latin which we now simply translate as “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”
Hah! Don’t you believe it!
That was over 2000 years ago when many of the Mediterranean civilisations had been beating each other up for centuries.
Today in Australia we are happy to receive the many gifts the Greeks have brought us over the years.
Slow roasted lamb with lemon and rosemary, anyone?
Spanokopita, feta, haloumi, dolmades, souvlaki, tzatziki, mousaka, baklava … we are all now familiar with these delicious dishes. Cities and towns right across our young land have traditional Greek restaurants to seduce our senses and fill our tummies.
Unfortunately we are less familiar with the wines that go with that food.
A wide wine land
Some of us have gargled on a pitcher of pungent retsina while holidaying on a Greek island and wondered if a cool beer might be a better accompaniment. Nothing wrong with a frosty Alpha, Fix or Mythos.
But Greece is a big and varied country from the rugged islands in the blue-watered south to the steep and green mountains of the north and the locals have been cultivating grapes and stomping them many thousands of years before the time of that Roman chap and his warnings.
No bottles back then, goatskins or clay amphorae were the preferred methods of packaging and modern tipplers probably would not have enjoyed the stuff … sweetish and oxidized, but it did the trick and was lustily celebrated by gods such as Dionysus and Bacchus.
Since then, as in many Mediterannean countries, the majority of wines have been made in villages or even single households and drunk within a few hundred metres of where they were grown.
No wonder we knew nothing about them.
Welcome the modern wines
All that is changing and our eyes are being opened. The New Wines of Greece is a travelling show heading our way to present the myriad varieties and flavours this ancient land now has to offer.
The names of the varieties will be your first challenge. Although some modern Greek winemakers are experimenting with names you know like cabernet and sauvignon blanc, most of the grapes will be as tongue-twisting as the wines are enjoyable.
Assyrtiko will probably be your star. This is the white grape of the island of Santorini tasting crisp and dry, something like a pinot grigio. Spectacularly refreshing on its home island it stands up well to travel. Just close your eyes and think of sunshine on white and blue.
Other whites are Athiri (a bit like a riesling), Aidani, Malagousia and the richer fruitier Vidiano.
Reds? Yes, Agiorghitiko (think lighter reds like merlot), Xinomavro (much weightier and serious), Mandilaria and Mavrodaphne.
They come to you from all over Greece, from the small touristy islands of the Aegean and Ionian, way up in the mainland hills and the big islands of Rhodes and Crete.
Don’t try to remember them. Enjoy the tasting and take notes of the labels you like. You should be wanting to buy more in the future.
ps You may be able to try some modern retsinas, lighter on the pine resin, just a whiff to remind you of those pungent old days.
Consumer Dinners:
Aqua Dining
When:6.30pm on Tuesday, 21 June
Where: Paul Street & Northcliff Street, Milsons Point
Bookings: www.aquadining.com.au or (02) 9964 9998
Price: $95 per person – four courses with matched wines
Elyros
When: 7pm on Friday, 24 June
Where: 81 Burke Road, Camberwell
Bookings: www.elyros.com.au or (03) 9882 8877
Price: $100 per person
Here are the Trade & Media venue details:
Sydney:
When: Monday, 20 June
Where: Establishment
252 George Street, Sydney
Details: Trade tasting and masterclasses
Melbourne:
When: Thursday, 23 June
Where: The Westin Hotel
205 Collins Street, Melbourne
Details: Trade tasting and masterclasses
For more info and to make bookings for master classes and dinners stir your adventurous spirit and go to www.newwinesofgreece.com
