Summer, Sea and Savor - Sipping by the Shore!

For our latest semi-regular wine and food event, friends gathered down the shore recently to sample some delightful summer wines - mostly white, plus a fabulous red from Greece, and a special blue bubbly courtesy of friends who had attended my previous back yard bash, which you will see in the first photo below.  It's called a "Blanc de Bleu" (White from Blue), hails from California and is available at Pennsylvania State Stores.  It's a "Brut" so it's nice and dry and was a definite crowd pleaser, even if the color does remind one of Scope mouthwash! (The blue shade comes from a little blueberry juice which is added to the wine for both color and taste.)

The Greek red, "Agiorgitiko", knocked everyone's socks off (or would have if we were wearing any!) and the "Assyrtiko" was the clear winner among the whites. And I loved the description by one of our astute imbibers who quipped: "Tastes like Sauvignon Blanc on steroids". Indeed!

The Agiorgitiko was about $23 in PA, and the other wines, purchased at Wine Works in Cherry Hill, NJ, were in the $15-20 range.  The Quinta da Garrida Branco was perhaps a little too oaky for most of us, but would be a nice alternative for those who enjoy oaked Chardonnays.

And I can never say enough about the Godeval Godello - definitely one of my all-time favorite whites!

Cheers!

           

            

1. Boutari Moschofilero 2015

Varietal: 100% Moschofilero (pink-skinned grape)

Classification/Region: Mantinia P.D.O (Protected Designation of Origin), Greece

Production/Tasting Notes: Richly textured and structured with concentrated grapefruit, ripe citrus and white plum flavors; notes of savory and dried spice; long, juicy finish (90 points, Wine Spectator, “Smart Buy”)

                   

Food pairings: aperitif; Mediterranean, Middle Eastern cuisines

11 % Alcohol

2. Domaine Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2015

                 

                    

Varietal: 100% Assyrtiko

Classification/Region: Santorini P.D.O, Greece

Production/Tasting Notes: Fermentation in stainless steel tanks; 60 year old vines; initially notes of tart lemons, ocean air, chalky stone which soften into honeyed exotic fruit tones

Food pairings: kebabs; salad, chicken, fish

14 % Alcohol

3. Quinta da Garrida Branco (White) 2013

               

Varietal: Mainly Encruzado

Classification: Dao Denominacao de Origem Controlada (D.O.C.), Portugal

Production/Tasting Notes: 40% aged in French oak barrels; creamy wood-aged wine; elegant and aromatic; flavors range from red apples to lemon to a touch of pineapple; ripe yet fresh; round finish with wood hints. (90 points, Wine Enthusiast, “ Best Buy”)

13.5% Alcohol

4. Bodegas Godeval Cepas Vellas 2013

                    

Varietal: 100% Godello

Classification: Valdeorras D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) Spain

Production/Tasting Notes: "Alluring white that covers a broad range of flavors in a pillowy texture, while crisp, well-integrated acidity maintains the focus; melon, coconut, spice and smoke flavors mingle harmoniously on the plus palate; mineral element is fresh and long." (92 pts. Wine Spectator; No. 36 on the Top 100 Wines for 2015)

14.5% Alcohol

5. Gaia Agiorgitiko  2014

                   

Varietals: 100% Agiorgitiko

Classification: Nemea P.D.O., Greece

Production/Tasting Notes: Deep, rich, complex yet fully approachable; intense ripe fruit aromas; juicy plum flavors mixed with spicy oak and pleasant earthiness; can be aged 2-4 years. 

Food Pairings: dolmades; red meat dishes that are rich, intense and spicy

14% Alcohol

Factoids about Greek and Mediterranean Wines

• Agiorgitiko, also known as St. George, is Greece's most famous red variety.
• Red wines from the Nemea region have been produced for over 2500 years and are sometimes known as the “blood of Hercules” giving him the strength to slay the Lion of Nemea.
• Roditis stems from the Greek word “rodon” meaning rose.
• Legend has it that Caesar wooed Cleopatra with the white wines of Patras
• Greece was likely the first homeland of the wine-making grape Vitis vinifera
• When Greece because part of the Byzantine Empire in the 11^th century, its status as a wine producer declined substantially due to tax regulations which favored Italian city-states
• There are about 30 wine “appellations” throughout Greece and French terms are often seen on wine labels.

Other Greek Grape Varietals

Whites

SAVATIANO – Greece's most widely planted white varietal and the base for the popular Retsina wine which is infused with pine resin; the best Retsinas are produced from Savatiano grown in Attica

VILANA – Native to the island of Crete, produces modestly priced refreshing white wines with green-apple flavors.

Reds

LIMNIO – Grown on the Aegean island of Limnos and throughout northern Greece; produces full-bodied wines with high alcohol content; often blended with merlot and cabernet sauvignon

 MAVRODAPHNE – Meaning “black laurel”, this grape flourishes in Patros and is blended with Korinthiaki to produce dessert wines

XINOMAVRO (“acid black”) - Dominate northern Greek red varietal; produces full-bodied reds with intense fruit flavors and can be aged for many years.

 Wine Quote: The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken.
Homer
The Odyssey, bk. XIV, l. 463