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Learning to Love Assyrtiko from NOT Santorini

 

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Of the hundreds and thousands of grapes the world has, my three favorite are white varieties. One of which is Assyrtiko. I am lucky enough to be in the position that I can visit Greece often. And, thanks to my writing work, have even been to Santorini. For several years, I spent those trips drinking mostly Assyrtiko. And almost exclusively Santorini Assyrtiko. I didn’t like mainland Assyrtiko, felt almost offended by its softness compared the acid powerhouses offered by the Cycladic Islands.

A quick note about those powerhouses. I recently learned, during a lecture by Dr. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos from Gai’a winery how different the mineral levels are in Assyrtiko wines from Santorini vs the mainland. I took this picture from his presentation, showing the average level of sodium, which gives island Assyrtiko its signature briny, salty edge, to be over 700% higher than it is in mainland wines!

After time and much drinking, my previous prejudice against mainland Assyrtiko wines has changed. Perhaps my palate has matured? Certainly I stopped finding many island wines I could afford! My last few trips to Greece have included explorations of mainland Assyrtiko wines. Everyone likes to be right about things, right? But having my prejudice against mainland Assyrtiko smashed has been one time I am thrilled to be wrong!

While by no means an exhaustive list! The below include some of those wines that have stood out the most for me. 

Navitas Winery Terre de Zeus, 2021

If you’re visiting Athens (or Thessaloniki where the original shop is), you must visit My Cava in Pangrati. Not only does the shop carry some really interesting wines (Greek and otherwise), it has a system that allows you to purchase small tastes, or even glasses, of wine to try while you shop. Like a wine soda dispenser. If I could but install one of those in my apartment! It also happened to be at My Cava where I discovered the Navitas Winery Terre de Zeus. I was deliberating between three different Assyrtiko wines and, frankly this won on its name. But it’s a winner for more reasons than that.

Navitas Winery is a brand new winery (opened 2021!) that farms its vineyards organically, making wines under the PGI Pieria around Mount Olympus. They’re committed to sustainability, reusing 70% of the winery’s wastewater and reducing energy costs by emphasizing structures with natural light and solar panels. The Terre de Zeus Assyrtiko comes from a single, young vineyard planted in stoney soil. In the winery, 2/3rds of the grapes were whole bunch pressed, with the remaining 1/3 spending 24 hours on the skin before pressing. Fermentation was done with indigenous yeasts, then battonage for 6 months with the wine stored in a combination of stainless steel tanks and amphora. 

A brilliant, medium-lemon on the pour with a nose that fools you into thinking it’s Santorini in the glass! Aromas tangy like the sea leapt out, chased by lime, yuzu, and white tea. Dry with lots of texture amplifying the notes found on the nose, around which wound a delicate florality. Big, but not overwhelming acidity with a ‘mere’ 12.5% abv. One of the great things I’ve learned about mainland Assyrtiko – they often have significantly lower ABVs.

Gorgeous! I’m definitely buying this again and looking for more of their wine on my next visit. 

Papargyriou Winery Le Roi des Montagnes, 2018

Found in a different little wine shop in Pangrati (I spend a lot of time in this neighborhood) called Cava Canava, this is a wine I’d held onto for a couple years. Assyrtiko really does benefit from at least one year in the bottle. When you’ve got something a little higher-end and pricey like this one, the more time you can give it, the better. 

Papargyriou Winery sits in Corinth in the Peloponnese. Le Roi des Montagnes PGI Korinthia represents the winery’s highest quality Assyrtiko. They use super ripe grapes, harvested in October, that received 5-6 days of skin contact and age for nine months in oak after fermentation. I knew about the oak as it’s on the label. But the skin contact was not, making the first splash of deep amber mahogany wine into my glass something of a shock. 

The second shockwave hit with the intense aromas swirling out of the glass. Deep and rich aromas of sundried meadow, quince, apricot, and blackened honey. Tame but noticeable acidity accompanied a silky mouthfeel and nutty, toasty flavors of grilled stone fruit, and honey threaded through with white pepper. Just to be contrary to my note about mainland ABVs, this was a big wine with 14.5%, likely due to the use of super ripe grapes.

Another one I’ll look for again! That amber color was a surprise but not one I’m mad at.

Moschopolis Winery Aiora, 2021

This is turning into a post about both mainland Assyrtiko wines and where to get them! I got this, and another wine from this fantastic winery, at the Alpha Sigma, just off Syntagma Square. Huge selection, stocked with all the “usual” Greek wines as well as a good number of oddball selections, and rare grapes.

Moschopolis Winery is based in Thessaloniki. George Germanis, one of Greece’s most experienced and respected vineyard and soil experts, he and his son Theodoros and his son-in-law Dimitris founded the winery in 2014. Their wines, produced as PGI Thessaloniki, all ferment spontaneously and have little (to no) added sulfur.

Unlike the previous wine, I expected this one to be amber. Says it right there on the label, ‘Assyrtiko contact’. In this case, the skins macerated for six months and the wine aged in amphora producing a deep orangey-amber wine. Speaking of orange. Notes of orange peel, tobacco, and bruised apple peel followed from the nose to the palate where they were joined by butterscotch and a lingering bitter orange citrus finish. Lightly tannic with nervy acidity, and a 13.5% abv.

The skin contact Malagouzia was also fantastic. I’m looking forward to trying more of their wines. 

Koroniotis 1300 BC, 2019

We’re back in PGI Peloponnese with this next one from Koroniotis Winery. In 1990, Kyriakos Koroniotis established an agrodiagnostic center where he dealt with soil, wine, and plant nutrition analyses while at the same time began planting his own vineyards. It wouldn’t be until 2000 that he created his own winery with those same vineyards. 

Brilliant lemon, shot through with green with smoky flint aromas tangled with grapefruit, cucumber, and a hint of yeast. Dry, textured, with bright acidity, and moderate alcohol (13%). The palate gave delightfully citrusy flavors of grapefruit and limequat with a quiet saline note.