This is my life and this is what I do!

.... to steal a line from a lovely friend of mine.

Wine, wonderful wine....

There are many things I love about wine. Many, many, many things. But one of the most beautiful things of all is seeing the love and passion that goes into making it.

Last year we were lucky enough to tour around some of the top wineries in the world. Bordeaux; extraordinarily magnificent in every way. The perfect marriage of art and science, painted on an opulent backdrop of wealth and tradition.   It can’t help but blow your mind.



A Top-Down View from the Winery.

There is however, something more humbling yet wondrous about seeing an ex-postman go at it alone, on a tiny Greek island; making wines for the local population, who, on a whole are not that bothered about wine. That is passion. Perhaps crazy too, but hellsbells, that always makes it more interesting.   Last week on our jollies, we were lucky enough to visit that very Postman, Giorgos, at Hatzidakis Winery, on the tiny Island of Leros.  For only €12 we were treated with a tour, tasting and meze. What’s not to love.  And let’s be honest. They had me at winery.




 Giorgos, at Hatzidakis Winery

What to expect? Well the Greek’s don’t have the best reputation for wine.  It’s a shame – like Portugal they have an absolute abundance of indigenous grapes. 
Unfortunately, a combination of the language barrier, a history of around 600 years of stagnating vineyards and our innate fear of unfamiliar grapes, Greek wine just isn’t that popular at home. 

But times are a changin’. Dramatic investment from the EU, certainly in the key wine regions such as Naoussa and Rapsani are leading to modern techniques of temperature control, careful use of oak, giving new life to old varieties. An abundance of sunshine hours also means that more recognisable varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon are well planted too.  So it’s not all about Retsina. This is another reason why the Giorgo's winery is impressive. Modern methods are combined with local and also international varieties to produce some fresh and easy drinking wines.



Sampling Maturing Wine
from French Barriques

On arrival at the end of September, the vines had already been harvested. Often vines in countries that experience such heat are left in bush wines around one stake, but here the time had been taken to trellis the vines, which helps with disease management.  As the vines ripen, branches and leaves are 'tucked in', protecting the fruit from the searing heat. Sunburn can ruin a crop. Across the vineyard, two red international varietals were planted, the very same used in Bordeaux blends; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Plus two indigenous white vines, Malagouzia (full bodied, aromatic wines whose aromas can survive even in hot climates) and Assyrtiko (again, great in hot climates as it can retain acidity, fruity, full bodied and fresh). Bushes of fresh herbs cropped out of every corner, which adds to the terroir. It certainly looked and smelt pretty.

In the winery, temperature controlled tanks and barriques (225 litre French oak barrels) of various ages sat alongside more traditional items such as a basket press. The winery's very first batch of rosé was fermenting in stainless steel which we were lucky enough to try, as well as a Bordeaux blend in the French oak, which was deliciously fruity, although the tannins hadn’t had full maturation time to become supple enough for the final wine.

Iokallis White

Following our friends Jo and Sam, who are always more than eager to sample (!) we sat outside in the sunshine to enjoy some meze, either grown by our host, or sourced nearby.  So the big moment – were these wines actually any good? Here are my thoughts...



Wine 1: Iokallis; A blend of Malagouzia (60%) and Assyrtiko (40%)

Look: Lovely bright straw colour.
Nose: Clean and bright on the nose with lemon, melon and just a slight herbal note. 
Palate: A good reflection of the nose with refreshing medium acidity, a balance of citrus and floral notes. Not as herby on the palate.  Medium intensity of flavours and a medium finish.
Conclusion: On a warm, sunny day on the Aegean, how could this not go down well.  A real summer drinking wine that would be popular in the UK, if we could all get past the name of the grapes. 


The red got a thumbs up from Sam!

 

Wine 2: Iokallis; A 50/50 Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot




...and the red.

Look: Deep ruby with just a hint of purple.  Lovely intense colour.
Nose: A medium aroma intensity that mingles a light spicy oakiness, ripe red fruit with the tell-tale blackberry notes of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Palate: A balanced level of acids and spice from the oak. Supple tannins with blackcurrant, redcurrant and a hint of cranberry. A medium length. 
Conclusion: A lovely Bordeaux style red that is a little less complex, with softer tannins and easier drinking. I wouldn’t need to eat with this but some said they would. Sam liked it a lot.


Wonderful trip, thank you :)

So what does it mean? I think we should try giving the Greek's a chance. It may be a while before we see the interesting varietals hitting our shelves. Recognisable grapes help a winemaker sell the wines, but I hope they do as the Portuguese did, and grab their local varieties by the kahunas and really get the best out of them.  In the long term, this is going to give the wines real stand out.