Wine
Sweet Success: Greece’s Dessert Wines are World Class
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By Konstantinos Lazarakis Photography: Constantinos Pittas Greek wine producers are crafting some of the most amazing—and undervalued—stickies in the world. The king of sweet wine production in Greece is undoubtedly the Muscat grape. Greek Muscats are rich, intense, floral, and sweet but not cloying, fully displaying in their character the warm, sunny climate of Greece and the variety’s compatibility to Greek ground. Muscats are conducive not only to the Greek terroir but well-matched to the local palate, since Greeks regard sweetness not as a childish taste but as charming. The Muscat grape is cultivated in six O.P.E. (Onomasia Proelefsis Elenhomeni, or controlled appellation of origin) areas, more than any other Greek grape. (See box.) Three are in the Aegean: Samos, Limnos, and Rhodes. The other three are Patras, Rion of Patras, and Cephalonia, in the Ionian.  In most of these appellations the small-berried white Muscat (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains) is cultivated. It is arguably the finest expression of all sub-varieties of the Muscat family, which is comprised of a number of different grapes. In Greece, the Muscat Blanc is cultivated in five of the six O.P.E. areas, but on Limnos, the Muscat of Alexandria variety flourishes. It doesn’t have the same ability to age as the Muscat Blanc, so the island’s winemakers focus mainly on producing relatively fresh, young Muscats. However, some high-quality producers are determined to prove that Limnos’ Muscats can, indeed, age. I have tasted barrel-matured Limnos Muscats that are multi-layered, rich, and full of personality.  Samos Muscats belong to the international aristocracy of sweet wines SAMOS REIGNS Commercially, the most successful Greek Muscats come from the island of Samos. The main export market is France. Samos Muscats are luscious, deep, and intense, and the island produces a range of wines. Samos Muscats may be fortified and drunk young, which makes for a very good introduction to this appellation, being very fruit forward, immediately charming and not overly complex. They can also be aged in oak for two or three years, which makes them more complex, spicy, and multi-layered. Despite an extremely high quality in every expression of the Muscat grape on Samos, most experts agree that sun-dried Samos Muscats aged in oak are superior to anything else the island produces with the grape. Standard bottlings are around four years old and exceptional but old (and rare) vintages belong, beyond any doubt, to the international aristocracy of sweet wines.  In Greece, the Muscat Blanc is cultivated in five of the six O.P.E. areas A MUSCAT RENAISSANCE Rhodes is an island blessed with an exceptional climate and a great repertoire of local grape varieties, among them (although not indigenous) the Muscat Blanc. Producers had focused commercially on other styles of wine for a long time, and dessert Muscats of Rhodes consequently were made in small quantities. Today this appellation is re-emerging on the national wine scene, with more substantial but still relatively small volumes and fine quality. The Muscats made here are mainly fortified, released in the market while preserving their freshness. The character of these Muscats falls halfway between the forwardness of Limnos and the depth of Samos. Much of the same can be said for Cephalonia’s Muscats. Although the appellation was established a few decades ago, the wines are almost obsolete. But the potential to make first-rate Muscats, very close to the Samos approach, is there. Winemakers are beginning to increase the amount of sweet Muscat produced on the island and are seeing commercial success.  PELOPONNESE The final two O.P.E. Muscat appellations are found in the northern Peloponnese, in the general area of Achaia and around the city of Patras. The largest and the most important designation is Muscat of Patras, followed closely by Muscat of Rion of Patras, a small area on the east side of the city. Neither is very intense on the nose, showing more minerals and less obvious Muscat fruit. Muscat of Patras is slightly richer and with a higher level of fruit than that of Rion, which is more elegant and floral. Versions vary from fresh to aged, with the latter showing a more structured palate. In general, Greek Muscats span the entire range of sweet wine styles, and include vin doux, vin doux naturel, vin naturellement doux, and vin de liqueur.  MUSCAT’S BLACK BROTHER Mavrodaphne is, in some ways, Muscat’s black brother. It is one of the best known Greek wines and most successful, internationally recognized Greek wine. In fact, it is typically the first wine a young Greek ever tastes—and likes. Mavrodaphne, which means black laurel, can produce wines with deep color, intense nose full of dark but not heavy fruit, sweet spices, and complex herbs. On the palate, it is surprisingly elegant, while tannins are silky and sophisticated in texture. These qualities led many contemporary producers to use Mavrodaphne in dry reds, usually as a blending partner of Agiorgitiko, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even Refosco, an esoteric grape variety originally from northern Italy. However, the variety’s tour de force is the sweet fortified wines, as well as the occasional but very rare dessert Mavrodaphne made from dried grapes. There are two O.P.E. regions dedicated to Mavrodaphne: the smaller Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia and the larger, and, far better known, Mavrodaphne of Patras. The first appellation, like the Muscat produced on the same island, had almost fallen into obscurity, overshadowed by the dominance of the local white Robola grape. But luckily for the grape, it is never planted in the highlands where Robola thrives, instead flourishing in lower, flatter terrain. As a result, it has survived. There is a handful of dried-grape Mavrodaphne wines still produced on the island and these are exceptional dessert wines well worth seeking out. The O.P.E. growing region for Mavrodaphne of Patras is large, which means that wines can be made in volume, in a variety of qualities across all price points. The younger—and cheaper—Mavrodaphne wines are easy, soft, and terrifically drinkable wines, offering great value for money and all the hallmarks of the style. But the real grandeur of the variety and the place is not apparent unless one tastes the older wines, aged in large oak casks for many years and usually blended with other vintages. These are stunning: breathtakingly complex, showing development and age but still holding masses of fruit. Most companies producing Mavrodaphne of Patras hold a “library” of old vintages, in some cases dating back to the late 19th century. Usually these rare parcels are used to add patina to younger non-vintage blends but, in exceptional circumstances, may also be bottled alone. If someone is lucky enough to taste one of these bottles, he or she will come across a world-class paradigm of what sweet wine can be. O.P.E. & O.P.A.P. Greece, like France and all the European Union countries, has legislative nomenclature to delineate the categories of wines. The top category is called Onomasia Proelefsis Elenhomeni (O.P.E.), which means controlled appellation of origin. Wine connoisseurs might be familiar with the French equivalent, A.O.C. There is also the lesser category of Onomasia Proelefseos Anoteras Poiotitos (O.P.A.P.) which means Appellation of Origin of Higher Quality, akin to the French V.D.Q.S. – Vin Delimité Qualité Supérieure.  SANTORINI NECTAR Greek dessert wines are not limited to O.P.E. areas. There is a number of O.P.A.P. appellations (Onomasia Proelefsis Anoteras Poiotitos or Appellation of Origin of Higher Quality—see box) that either allows sweet styles to be produced or offers the right potential for expansion. The most revered is arguably Santorini, home to the sweet wine Vinsanto. On Santorini—hot, arid, and windy, with its volcanic, chalky soil—the indigenous varieties Assyrtiko and Aidani produce tiny yields, sometimes as low as 1.5 tons per hectare (0.6 tons per acre). However, the fruit grows very ripe and concentrated, while retaining enormous amounts of acidity. After a week or so of drying in the sun and at least two years in large oak barrels, Vinsanto emerges as one of the most sumptuous golden nectars in the world. It can be described as a peculiar cross between Madeira and tawny Port, with an extract, concentration of fruit, and high acidity that make it indestructible over time, as centuries-old bottles can prove. OTHER GREEK STICKIES Dessert wines are enjoying a commercial comeback in Greece and producers in many areas are expanding their portfolios by making interesting wines meant to be sipped at the end of a meal. In the O.P.A.P. regions of Nemea and Mantinia, some producers are drying Agiorgitiko and Moschofilero grapes and crafting some fine sweet wines, displaying the varietal characters with great purity, but also with a whole new twist to the palate structure. Areas like Gianitsa, with a long history of dried-grape wine production, are re-emerging at the forefront, usually led by young, progressive oenologists. These winemakers are redefining traditional as well as new grape varieties with respect to sweet winemaking. For example, a few decades ago Greek winemakers considered Malagousia a grape exclusively for dessert styles. It almost disappeared from the Greek terroir, only to re-emerge in the 1990s but as a promising variety for aromatic dry whites. Once again, winemakers are reinventing it by experimenting with Malagousia in the top-quality dessert realm. New sweet wines are released almost every month from a fascinating range of Greek and international varieties, such as Traminer, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, even Viognier and Merlot.  Greece is a most exciting place among wine-producing countries. Given their long history, sweet wines had no choice but to change with the times, again and again and again. Now there is momentum and critical mass, as well many reasons for consumers to turn to these wines. Greece’s dessert wines combine top quality, distinctive styles, and really affordable prices. That last perk might change fast as more and more people discover them.  SWEET WINES, ANCIENT PALATES Greece, an ancient winemaking country, has been renowned for her sweet wines almost forever. In fact, sweet wines prevailed over dry in antiquity, mainly because wine was not consumed with food. Even at the symposia, participants would eat first, then philosophize, drink wine, and eat some fruit. Wines that were too dry or lean would have been difficult to drink all night. Sweet wines could also be tasty when watered down, which was customary in the ancient world. Also, because of the high sugar levels of ancient Greek wines, they withstood oxidation and bacterial spoilage more easily and travelled well. While today producers can make sweet wines in many different ways, the ancient Greeks relied on very high grape sugar concentrations in the fruit and must, which they achieved by leaving the grapes on the vine until dehydrated, as in raisins, a method that concentrates sugar, acidity, and extract. They sometimes also added sweetness externally, with honey, for example. Today, Greek winemakers are well-versed in these methods. Some forfeit the late harvest, vine-ripening method, but dry bunches of grapes on straw mats, as for raisins. The most rapid way to do this—and Greece, with its sunny clime is an ideal place for the practice—is to leave the grapes directly under the sun, which results in fruit that is intense, with distinct flavors. Drying them in the shade, by contrast, is a slower process with an elegant result that respects varietal flavors more. |
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