London is fully embracing Greek wines, with their power to transport us to islands of rocky white stone, lapping blue waters, ancient olive groves and leafy fruit trees bearing lemons, oranges and figs.
Having made wine for centuries, a modern wave of winemaking has had sommeliers and supermarkets alike clamouring for more of these lip-smackingly fresh whites and perfumed, powerful reds.
Steve Daniel, head of buying for Hallgarten & Novum wines, was the person responsible for first bringing Greek wines commercially to the UK after falling in love with them in the 1990s. “It was at the height of the ‘Anything But Chardonnay’ movement” Daniel says “and I saw an ancient historic wine producing country with a treasure trove of indigenous grapes. I also saw a country and industry in transformation. There was investment in new wineries and a group of young well educated and well-travelled winemakers. I thought there must be potential. Well, it’s been a long haul but all the parts of the puzzle seem to be in place”.
Back in the 1990s there were only 40 producers, whereas now there are around 1,300, with some of the oldest vines on the planet offering incredible concentration and texture.
Back in the 1990s there were only 40 Greek wine producers, whereas now there are around 1,300,
“More grape varieties have been rediscovered” continues Daniel “and more keep coming into commercial production. The original pioneering young winemakers are now stalwarts and guardians of the industry. A new wave of passionate, well-educated and motivated winemakers have joined the industry and continue to push boundaries”. It is essentially, an incredibly exciting time – and London has not rested on its laurels in making the most of it. Suddenly the world, and particularly the UK, is recognising the utter deliciousness of modern Greek food alongside the benefits of a more Mediterranean diet and new restaurants and bars are opening all the time.
“Theodore at the Original Real Greek introduced the idea of Modern Greek food and an all-Greek wine list” says Daniel. “Adrien and Kristina at Mazi have carried the torch with great style and others are following”.
Newly opened The Counter Soho offers a celebration of the fantastic tastes of the Aegean on their sunny terrace. Their creamy whipped tarama with caviar, fresh crudo and tuna tartare, and show-stopping saffron and crab orzo were perfect with a delightful traditional method sparkling from Domaine Karanika in Northern Greece. Under The Counter is a cool bar-turned-DJ booth where vinyl plays though state of the art speakers and you can ruminate over Aegean themed cocktails or a bottle of sumptuous old vine Xinomavro Reserve while watching the chefs at work.
Wine is all about exploration and with Greek Wine Month starting in June, there is no better time to embrace the Aegean
Banishing all thoughts of a street kebab, Gaia in Mayfair is upscaling Greek flavours for the glamorous, moneyed crowd in their stylish restaurant. Surrounded by a blaze of white, gold and marble, the Greek salad is prepared at the table and the moussaka is a delicate half of stuffed aubergine. The ‘house white’ is the excellent ‘Monograph’ Assyrtiko by renowned Gaia Wines but in a wine list that runs into the thousands, the Oenops Vidiano from Crete offers exceptionally made premium wine without breaking the bank.
Rumour has it that Roe in Canary Wharf, just launched by the team behind Fallow and already earning rave reviews from critics, will be serving Muses Estate Sauvignon Mouhtaro Rosé from jeroboams this summer. “Wines from Central Greece should be recognised and celebrated more,” says group head of wine Victoria Sharples. “And jeroboams are a great way to do this”. Nothing says party like a supersized bottle!
Buying for home, I found the wonderful Zacharias Assyrtiko from Nemea (£12.99, Waitrose) ideal for pairing with everything from Sunday roast chicken to grilled prawns and fish, and I tried something new in the delicious Malagousia from Ktima Gerovassiliou (£25, The Good Wine Shop). Ok, some of the names may be tricky to pronounce and I am sure I massacre the more obscure ones when ordering, but wine is all about exploration and with Greek Wine Month starting in June, there is no better time to embrace the Aegean.