Turkish occupation has brought the area into the "Eastern middle ages". It did not help wine, in the sense that it did not encourage wine production. European Traveller's accounts from the 18-19th century tell the horrors of Greek wines. Up until 1970, Greek wines were mostly undrinkable (with rare exceptions), except by the locals. There were very few small areas in Greece, which have produced wine that was honorable. Such places include (but are probably not the only ones) Naoussa, Santorini, Samos, and Archanes/Peza in Crete.

Slowly, in the 1970s, the work of some visionaries, who have seen up-close the huge gap and progress of western European wine production, started the renouveau of Greek wines. This is a very slow process that is still in evolution.

There is a huge difference in the wines one finds in the marketplace today. To start with, many if not most are drinkable. And some can also provide pleasure in drinking. This should be compared to the wines I drunk in the seventies and eighties that at their (rare) best were neutral.

There is also a (small) difference in the attitude of Greeks towards wine quality. Although still the vast majority do not care (and cannot distinguish) whether they drink wine or vinegar, there is a small minority that strives to get to know, and drink better wines. This minority is composed of the nouveau-riche society of Greeks that, along with other things, they also ask for good wine, although they are not yet seasoned connoisseurs. It also includes the intelligentsia, which has always asked for good quality.

Below is my personal view on some Greek wines I consider interesting. My views are based on tasting, on many occasions, wines at various times of their developments. I would like to thank in this, a group of colleagues and friends with whom we have had numerous tastings.

1) Unless otherwise stated, tasted wines were bought in good condition and cellared in optimal conditions (11 C, constant temperature and 75%-85% humidity). I should also stress here that most wines one can buy in Greece, especially whites that are more fragile, are damaged by high temperatures. I found no place in Greece, including wine cellars in posh areas in Athens, that keep their wines under acceptable conditions. The result is that you can get a white that has not been cooked, only if it has been transported during mid November-mid March, did not stay in the van during a sunny day and was bought in that period. Chances that all of the above are true are small.

Also by talking to merchants, you find two types: The "educated" ones, who will expand on being careful how to keep the wine etc, but who keep it in a cement-warehouse at 40 C in the summer. And those, that do not even know the theory.

2) In general do not trust the views of wine merchants, especially if they seem authoritative. I have spoken to many of them in Crete and Athens. I have found none that was really knowledgeable. A friend I trust tells me that he knows one. Even the most posh merchants are not experts in wine. There are two types: those that know nothing and those that claim they know. The first category is innocuous since they will not give you advice. The second is dangerous, since you will be offered authoritative advise, which almost always is invariably wrong or misleading or both.

The same applies to resident "wine critics" that write in the press. Although they make an effort, they do not have the long tasting experience at international level to be trustworthy. This is the reason that "oak juice" according to several of them is an excellent wine. I still remember the statement, three years ago, of a wine-critic of a major Greek newspaper, after we had a long conversation and after he realized that I know something about wine: "I am proud since I can tell when a wine is corked". I am definitely sure there are exceptions to this rule. I was not lucky enough to meet them.

3) There are several guides on Greek wines. I recommend two for distinct reasons. The first, is a book written by Lambert-Gocs who has spent several years going around Greece in the seventies. The book gives a clear idea on the status of the Greek wine-making effort of the period and includes some interesting historical interludes. This book makes very nice reading and I enjoyed it immensely. It will not help you, though, to find the good wines of today. (Incidentally a new book by Lambert-Gocs is out, I have not however read it to have an opinion). The other is a periodical edition of wine-merchant and reliable taster, Manessis, which gives rather accurate information on current efforts in the Greek scene. Unfortunately, this has stoped after the second edition. The web-page of Nick Cobb, http://www.greekwinemakers.com/ contained for a long period interesting information about Greek wine producers. However I noticed that it has been left unattended in the recent years. Finally there are several other books on Greek wine in the market. I recommend none.

4) There are several wines I have never tasted. There are also wines that were tasted under difficult conditions, so that I could not have a reliable opinion. There are many more wines that were tasted but which I cannot recommend. None of the above appear below.

5) There are no world-class white Greek wines and there are very few that are good. I presume it is because it is much easier to make a good red instead of a good white in the south. It is also because it is difficult to keep the fragile properties of most whites because of their handling. All Greek whites should be drunk during their first year of age. Some do not survive even that. Some if not mishandled might survive two years. Most are already dead after their first trip.
After following many whites for the last eight years I came to the conclusion that only two improved with age. I presume the grapes responsible for this is one hand the Lagorthi, a rare variety almost extinct that was resurrected by Antonopoulos. It has some similarities to Semillon and seems to improve with age if properly cultivated and vinified. The second is the Asyrtiko grape. I have hand several example of well made santorini wines that from 5-15 years of age started showing noble and sometimes complex mineral flavors characteristic of Alsacian dry Rieslings.

My favorite Cretan wines are :

(a) The red wine by Economou, an idiosyncratic effort from a very knowledgeable and travelled wine-maker. He has worked for several years in Margaux, Mosel and Piemonte. The wine is produced on the Ziros plateau in south-eastern Crete in a slightly oxydative style. I have tasted in his winery an unusual but very interesting white, that I have never seen in the stores.

(b) The red wine from Lyrarakis "Kotsifali-Syrah" from the local grape kotsifali blended with Syrah. It is a soft, forward, easy red that deserves its price.

(c) Some of the wines of Creta Olympias. This the probably the best wine producer on the island and for this, it is difficult to find its good wines in Crete as they are mostly sold in Athens. Their Creta Nobile Red and Creta Nobile White are very good wines. The white did not decline after 4 years of age but did not improve either.The red however declined considerably after 6 years of age. The winery produces also a modestly priced white called "Xerolithia" which is pleasant and worth its money.

(a) Ktima Mercouri (or Ktima Merkouri ). A very good producer. The Ktima Mercouri Red is a well made, expressive, forward red that can be drunk for several years. I have followed the evolution of this wine since the 1993 vintage. I can state that it can evolve for ten years and although not really improving, it can give pleasure. Its nose becomes fragile though and if more than 3-4 years old, it should be served with care. Their white, "Foloi" is an example of a simple fragrant white that should be drunk in its first year of life. Both wines are correctly priced.

(b) Antonopoulos Wines. This is one of the most forward thinking wineries. I will recommend, the white "Adoli Yis", a white wine made primarily from the grape Lagorthi. It is the only Greek white wine that I have found that it improved with age. It starts life as a neutral, rather acidic wine (here the winery could do better, picking fruit a bit later) but it expands with age and in 5-6 years develops complex and noble aromas reminding aged roussane wines. Another wine that I appreciated only when I tasted in their premises is a special cuvee of Moschofilero, Called "Gris de Noir" made from a selected parcel. It has a superb complex aromatic profiled dominated by rose aromas, that reming a bit gewurtztraminer, but are far superior because they are understated and elegant. Their Mantineia is also very good with complex aromatics. I defy anyone to find them in pristine condition without going to the winery! The winery's Chardonay is opulent and oaky, a good effort for the varietal, albeit expensive.

(c) Parparousis. An excellent but not a widely known producer near Patras. His Taos wine, produced every few years from 100% Mavrodaphne grapes (an absolutely dry red wine) is highly original with notes of tar, menthol and leather at its youth. This is a wine I will follow as it evolves. His inexpensive Oinari, made from Agiorgitiko grape is the best bargain in Greece. His reserve Agiorgitiko is excellent but should be drunk in its 5-6 first years of age. Parparousis produces also a collection of excellent bradys.

(d) Ktima Papaioannou. A good wine producer in Nemea. His Ktima Papaioannou red, is a forward, fragrant and seductive red which is also correctly priced. Although it does not improve with age it can last up to 10 years as a recent tasting of the 1993 revealed. I should warn though that later vintages were not as dense, as a separate cuvee Vielles Vignes was produced (that is overpriced and does not age well).

(e) Ktima Ftelias. The red wine produced here is a Cabernet. The 1997 tasted recently was dense and showed some signs of complexity although it is still young. It may be overpriced though. Time will tell.

(a) Yiannis Boutaris. This is a good producer, producing a portfolio of wines based on Xinomavro or international grapes as Merlot and Syrah, used in blends, or alone. The "Ktima Yanakohori" is a xinomavro based wine that I have followed since 1994. It is not very charming at a young age. It needs 10 years to absorb its tanin and it develops a fragrant nose that is simple. The Ramnista wine is also based on Xinomavro but seems better. The 1996, has gone into the monolithic phase, while the 1997 is better and holds some promise. The Syrah is excellent. The 1997 was tasted in 2005 and showed a mature nature and a complex aromatic profile.

(b) Katsaros Winery. This is a small producer, that makes a Cabernet-Merlot blend. It is easily accessible young, showing varietal aromas and evolves gracefully (without much complexifying) over a decade. It is produced in small quantities and it is overpriced in my opinion.

(b) Gerovasiliou. This winery produces an interesting white (Ktima Gerovasiliou) from the local grape Malagouzia. It is simple, and fragrant, if you can find it alive. It is by now overpriced though.

(c) Kwstas Lazaridis. This is a very good producer in the town of Drama. He makes probably the best Greek red, "Cava Amethystos" based on Cabernet. Tastings of the 1994 and 1997 revealed a deep wine which evolves slowly and has the potential to be outstanding with age. Whether it is worth its price tag, remains to be seen. The winery produces also many other well made wines from mostly French grapes.

Santorini is a singular viticultural area, with very old vines (some close to 180 years old) special microclimat and special grapes. The most interesting grape is the asyrtico grape and the most interesting wine the sweet "Visanto" made from mixture of white and red sun-dried grapes, that is further aged as a tawny port. The two most interesting wines are

(a) Argyros Visanto. Aged typically for 20 years is large foudres, it is a well balanced superbly complex wine in the class of top 20 year old tawnys but with a very distinct character. It is expensive.

(b) Sigalas Visanto. It is aged for 3-4 years. The 1996 recently tasted was rich and complex, simply superb.

Samos is another island that built its modern reputation since the beginning of the century on sweet muscat wines. The producer is the local cooperative that is exemplary for Greek standards. The most interesting wines are:

(a) Samos Grand Cru: A sweet muscat, made in the style of Muscat de Frontignan, with nice exuberant aromas of the muscat grape. If appropriately cellared, it can be drank during at least 9-10 years without losing its aroma.

(b) Samos Anthemis: A sweet muscat aged for 5 years in large foudres. It shows noble oxydative aromas.

(c) Samos Nectar: A wine made from selected and sun-dried muscat grapes, then aged in barrels. It is still an oxydative wine with complex and interesting flavors. It is formidably sweet (>350 gr/lt), balanced by a combination of moderate acidity and alcohol that is successful. In the last 5 years the quality of Nectar has gone down, and now, Anthemis is the most interesting wine of the two.

All three are correctly priced wines, that give a lot of pleasure.