Best Greek wine to buy

A guide to Greek wines

Wine ran through the veins of ancient Greek culture: it was central to religious ritual and to everyday life. The Greek god of wine Dionysus, also known as Bacchus by the Romans, gave his name to Bacchanalian rituals which, as depicted on so many antiquities, were basically parties in which heavy drinking was combined with singing, dancing and lots of sex. Mortals duly followed suit and wine was enjoyed as a social lubricant by all social classes, and by women as well as men. Wine was also an important trading commodity and was exported all over the ancient world. It was stored in clay vessels called amphorae that were sometimes sealed with a pine resin which imparted its flavour into the wine – a drink that is still alive today in the form of retsina.

I travelled to Greece often in my youth and retsina appears in many happy memories. In those days, Greek wine was generally pretty rough and relatively expensive, so beer and retsina were the order of the day (and night) in tavernas and on the beach. The retsina smelled and tasted of wine mixed with toilet cleaner but it was very cheap and it kept us very cheerful. Thankfully, retsina, along with all Greek wine, has come a very long way since then.

Improved techniques and careful growing of indigenous grapes with exotic names – assyrtiko, malagousia, kydonitsa – have led to a thriving new Greek culture producing wines of real quality and character at very good prices. As well as making modern wines in modern ways, Greek winemakers are also reviving ancient know-how and using clay amphorae to age and/or ferment their wines, as their forefathers did – a welcome trend that is now becoming popular around the world.

Wine geeks have been enjoying these new-age Greek wines for quite some time and gradually they are becoming more readily available. Good online retailers include maltbyandgreek.com, southernwineroads.com and thewinesociety.com, or try switched-on independent wine shops.

Greek civilisation goes back more than 6,000 years and my love affair with the country continues, and I’m very happy that now includes its wine as well.

@KateHawkings

Best Greek wines to buy at a glance

• Best ancient Greek wine: Lyrarakis Dafni 2022, £11.95
• Best Greek wine to serve chilled: Thymiopoulos Atma Xinomavro, £12.99
• Best budget Greek wine: Athlon Assyrtiko, £8.99
• Best Greek red wine: Gaía Agiorgitiko 2018, £16.50
• Best retsina: Tetramythos Retsina, £19.32
• Best sweet Greek wine: Samos Vin Doux, £8.99

The best Greek wines to buy in 2024

Lyrarakis Dafni 2022

• Available from The Wine Society (£11.95)

Best ancient Greek wine

One of my all-time favourite wines, unique and very beguiling. Dafni is an ancient grape – traces of which have been found in vessels at the nearby palace of Knossos, dating back more than 5,000 years – and was almost extinct until revived recently by the Lyrarakis family. An incredible perfume of bay leaves, ginger and rosemary with ripe apricot fruit and a little skin-contact grip. Check out our round-up of the best European vineyards to see how you can visit and stay in Lyrarakis for a close up look at the wine producing process.

Available from:
The Wine Society (£11.95)

Thymiopoulos Atma Xinomavro

• Available from Waitrose Cellar (£12.99)

Best Greek wine to serve chilled

Apostolos Thymiopoulos is a leading light of contemporary Greek winemaking, championing biodynamic farming and minimal intervention in his wines for more than 20 years. Bright redcurrant, raspberry and rhubarb fruit with a hint of mountain herbs; it’s really juicy and refreshing, especially when served slightly chilled.

Available from:
Waitrose Cellar (£12.99)

Athlon Assyrtiko

• Available from Aldi (£8.99)

Best budget Greek wine

The best and (most costly) assyrtikos come from the island of Santorini where vines are trained to grow in extraordinary wreath formations to protect the grapes from the extreme heat of the sun and to capture precious moisture from nocturnal sea mists. This, from the mainland, is not as intense or complex as some but it’s deliciously crisp and lemony with a steely minerality – a great go-to summery wine for easy drinking.

Available from:
Aldi (£8.99)

Gaía Agiorgitiko 2018

• Available from Vivino (£16.50)

Best Greek red wine

A supple, fruity red from this highly respected maker. Aged in used French oak barrels to give it a little muscly structure and some warming spice, it makes easy autumnal drinking with comforting autumn food.

Available from:
Vivino (£16.50)

Tetramythos Retsina

• Available from Odysea (£19.32)

Best retsina

Fermented with wild yeasts in clay amphorae, as is the traditional way, this is a world away from cheap retsina we know from our holidays. Made with organic grapes, its pine notes are herbaceous rather than aggressive and it has a lovely, delicate freshness. Brilliant with all those deep-fried dishes you’d expect to find in a bar on a Greek island.

Available from:
Odysea (£19.32)

Samos Vin Doux

• Available from The General Wine Company (£10.99)

Best sweet Greek wine

Great value for this luscious, silky sweet wine from the island of Samos. Made with the muscat grape, this has a wonderful scents of honeysuckle and apricot jam and makes a great finish to a meal served chilled with fruity puddings or a cheeseboard.

Available from:
The General Wine Company (£10.99)

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