IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME

Fellow blogger Claire and her husband will be pleased to know that I’ve come around to Greek wines. It isn’t that I thought of Greek wines as being bad, per se. It’s that I really didn’t give them much thought at all.

Back in Sept, barVino closed its door and the staff took a field trip to NYC and the annual Frederick Wildman Portfolio Tasting. Held every year at Guastavino’s, the Portfolio Tasting is where we choose our wines for the fall and winter as well as get a chance to meet the people who make our year-round favorite wines. The first year I was overwhelmed (there are literally thousands of bottles to taste), but the third time’s the charm and as a (semi-) seasoned pro, I arrived with a game plan (that included a 3 o’clock exit so I could drink beer at the rooftop Birreria at Eataly).

The Greek table was approached because my friend Megan and I are doing a Meditteranean cooking class in October (via Whisk n’ Wine) and we wanted to find some wines to compliment the menu. Is it terrible to admit that my expectations weren’t that high? And if so, does it beg a larger exploration of why? Probably, but I’ll leave that for another post.

Suffice to say, we were blown away. Megan, Patrick and I went through all the wines on the table, and even after stumbling over the names, found plenty to love. Right now at barVino we’re featuring the 2010 Katogi Xinomarova and the 2011 Zafeirakas Rosé. The Xinomarova is a bright ruby color and drinks light and dry. The oak aging is subtle and it reminds me of an Italian Dolcetto. As for the rosé, I could not love it more. Visually, it’s a standout: a deep, vibrant pink, this is no shy rosé. A 50/50 blend of Limniona and Syrah, it has a well-rounded mouthfeel matched with bright fruit and a lip smacking tartness.

I’m still working on my pronunciation, though.