It’s all Greek to me: underestimated wines from ancient-wine producing countries
The Caucasus region that spans Europe and Asia can rightfully lay claim to being the birthplace of winemaking. While on two digs in Georgia in 2017, the molecular archaeologist Professor Patrick McGovern and his team found significant traces of tartaric acid in clay jars that dated to circa 6000 BC. The only fruit containing such high levels of this acid in its juice is Vitis Vinifera, the winemaking grape, and so the professor published a paper snappily titled, “Early Neolithic Wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus”.
Rarely do I get to taste wines from this cradle of things vinous, but last week I had the opportunity to sample some wine from a friend of mine and competitor in the wine trade.
What I tasted were wines way off the normal selection offered, but wine I would be happy to represent myself. Three of the delights that stood out for me were from that same ancient area, countries that have sadly fallen from the modern purchasing repertoire; Turkey and Greece.
Sadly, there are no modern grapes that can claim an unbroken direct lineage to those cultivated in the ancient world. The eight or so millennia since humans began making wine have seen multiple cross-breeding of vines and subsequent dilution of those original genes.
Greece, however, is rightly enjoying a renaissance with its modern wines. The country is beginning to shed the image that drinking Ouzo is more fun than the pine resin flavoured “Retsina” it has been associated with for generations. This turnaround has come principally through the sustained efforts of pioneering merchants such as Steve Daniels of Novum Wines, who has persistently endeavoured to shine a light on this country’s wines.
Greek wines are tasty and have prices very reasonable for the quality of the juice – zippy fresh, mineral whites and warm attractive, fruit-driven reds. Sadly, a major stumbling block for their success with the public at large might be the pronunciation of the grape names.
I have seen the Germanic grape varieties Gewurztraminer and Gruner Veltliner struggle for acceptance despite their delicious “drinkability”. The Greek varieties of Xinomavro and Assyrtiko will find it even harder. This is an incredible shame, and unless a workable strategy around this is found, the Greeks will remain one of the best-kept wine secrets around – great for geeks like me, but sadly not a sustainable commercial export model, yet.
Turkey is barely spoken about in the wine trade at the moment. On the strength of the wine I tasted (listed below), there should be much more chatter about the modern and drinkable varieties the country is producing. Similarly to the Greeks, though, the Turkish grape varieties are fascinating for those looking beyond the norm, but perhaps too hard for the average wine drinker to either remember or pronounce.
A tasty Turk and some gorgeous Greeks for you to try:
Turkish: Kayra, Buzbağ, Anatolia, Öküzgözü Boğazkere 2018