Wines from Peloponnese, Greece

This is the first post in a series that will feature the wines of Peloponnese to celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter (April 12th) this year. In addition to the wines, I also received some very nice Greek products that I will be tweeting about over the coming days.

The Peloponnese wine region is located in the southern peninsula of Greece and is (mostly) separated from mainland Greece by the Gulf of Corinth. It is also the largest winemaking area in Greece. This region is home to ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games, and has been producing wine for at least 4,000 years. Popular native grape varieties grown within the Peloponnese are Agiorgitiko, Moschofilero and Mavrodaphne.

Moschofilero (MOH-skoh-FEE-leh-roh) is a fragrant white grape with gray/pink/purple skin that exhibits floral, spice and perfumed characteristics. The wine reviewed below comes from Arcadia, in central Peloponnese, and shows very good typicity for the grape.

Agiorgitiko (ah-yohr-YEE-tee-koh) has to be one of the most difficult-to-pronounce grapes around. Fortunately, it also goes by the name 'St. George'. This black-skinned grape produces red wines that are quite fruity, as in the version below, similar to the Italian Barbera. Agiorgitiko is the second most widely planted red grape in all of Greece.

The last wine reviewed below is a blend using the Mavrodaphne and Black Korinthiaki grapes. The Mavrodaphne varietal is a black wine grape native to the Achaea region in Northern Peloponnese. It is typically used to produce fortified wine, as the Kourtaki is below. It is also typically blended using the solera method, which then produces a non-vintage wine.

The 2013 vintage of the Greek harvest is being hailed as one of the best in recent years, especially for white grapes. It showed in the Moschofilero. All the three wines reviewed below were quite easy drinking, have good crowd-appeal, and come at attractive price points at the LCBO.

Stay with me as I find kefi while taking you through the three remaining wines (two of which are from the 2013 vintage) to celebrate Easter and the wines of Peloponnese.

Tasting Notes:
TROUPIS FTERI MOSCHOFILERO 2013 - IGP Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece (#392936) (XD) - $15.20
Very pale yellow colour, almost clear white. Fragrant aromatics that show floral, citrus, peach and some lychee and herbal notes as it warms up. The palate is medium-bodied and creamy with balanced acids. Flavour profile consists of floral, white peach and hints of orange. Initial kiss of sweetness tapers off into the dry spectrum. Decent length on the finish. A very good introduction to the grape. Readily available as it's LCBO General List. Score: 87 pts

BOUTARI AGIORGITIKO 2013 - PDO Nemea, Peloponnese, Greece (#172148) (XD) - $11.85
Plum and prune aromas from the cork. Medium intensity nose with red cherry, red currant and soft floral aromas. Palate is medium-bodied and dry, with soft, rounded tannins, balanced acids and red currant, cherry and mild spice flavours. Average length finish. Simple, easy drinking red. Readily available as it's LCBO General List. Score: 86 pts

KOURTAKI MAVRODAPHNE OF PATRAS - PDO, Peloponnese, Greece (#208413) (S) - $14.95
Blend of Mavrodaphne and Black Korinthiaki. Prune and raisin aromas from the cork. Medium intensity aroams of raisins, dried figs, caramel and dates with medium sweet aroma replays on the palate. Smooth, slightly creamy texture, light-to-mid weight body with good acids. Medium length finish that has notes of semi-sweet milk chocolate from a hot fudge sundae. Serve well-chilled. This fortified wine was recently released into VINTAGES on March 21 and has good inventory levels. Score: 86 pts