Greek Wine
Assyrtiko, Xinomavro, Santorini and Naoussa — the indigenous grapes and regions beyond Retsina.
Style
Grape
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Agiorgitiko
Most-planted red grape of Greece; anchor variety of PDO Nemea in the Peloponnese, producing a range of styles from juicy and approachable to firmly tannic and ageworthy.
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Assyrtiko
White grape from Santorini; high acidity, salty minerality, capable of long aging; now planted across Greece and increasingly abroad.
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Moschofilero
Pink-skinned aromatic white grape from Mantinia in the Peloponnese; produces fresh low-alcohol whites and rosés, sometimes lightly sparkling.
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Xinomavro
Red grape from northern Greece; high tannin, high acidity, long aging potential, often compared to Nebbiolo. Anchor variety of PDO Naoussa.
Region
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Naoussa
PDO in West Macedonia for 100% Xinomavro; high-altitude vineyards on the slopes of Mount Vermio, Greece's first red PDO (1971).
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Nemea
PDO in the Peloponnese for 100% Agiorgitiko; sub-zones at different altitudes deliver styles ranging from light and juicy to tannic and ageworthy.
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Santorini
Volcanic island in the Cyclades; phylloxera-free vineyards on ash soils with some of Europe's oldest vines, dominated by Assyrtiko.