Wine Art Estate (Greece) - Wine Dinner

At the end of August I had the pleasure of attending a Greek wine dinner at Petros 82 featuring the wines of Wine Art Estate.

With a love for wine and passion to explore the vinification procedure, Yiannis Papadopoulos planted a small family vineyard in 1993 on the outskirts of Drama in the northeastern end of Macedonia in northern Greece and founded Wine Art Estate. Yiannis is actually a civil engineer by profession but wanted to make wine that he loves to drink and share with his friends. He pivoted from wine lover to winemaker by first reviving a family-owned vineyard and then constructing a winemaking facility in his old paternal home in Mikrochori, Drama. He also built a small underground cellar for ageing his wines. His first wines were produced with the contributions of consultant oenologists and showed enormous potential. Several years later, his friend and fellow wine lover, Yiannis Kalaitzidis, architect and engineer, joined the company as a partner.

Following the trends at the time, Wine Art Estate focused on growing French varieties, followed by a selection of Greece's emblematic varietals such as Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro. This was evident during dinner as a couple of the wines we tasted were blends primarily based on Bordeaux varieties.

In 2009, Akis Papadopoulos, Yiannis' son, returned from his studies in Bordeaux and took over as Chief Oenologist. Also joining the team as viticulturalist was Iralklis Topalidis whose was focused on the importance of the vineyard in quality winemaking. Today, Wine Art Estate is dedicated to quality, and to a winemaking philosophy that respects harmony and nature. In addition, the believe that great wines begin in the vineyard and are grown by those who adapt, listen to nature, and are respectful of the land’s energy. They are committed to sustainable winegrowing without compromising wine quality and to preserving nature for generations to come. With three decades of winemaking experience and an intimate block-by-block approach in the vineyard, Wine Art Estate is focused on its core belief that the best wines are the result of the connection between nature and man.

Thank you to Kolonaki Group of Companies for the invitation and opportunity to taste these lovely wines, as well as experience the fine cuisine of Petros 82. Wine reviews of each wine tasted are provided below. The Malagousia and Techni Alipias Red are available at the LCBO, while the other two wines can be ordered through Kolonaki.

Tasting Notes:

PLANO MALAGOUSIA 2021 - PGI Drama, Greece (#27225) (XD) - $21.50
100% Malagousia. The medium-high to highly aromatic nose is elegant and complex with flinty minerality, citrus, herbs, lemongrass, fennel, and anise aromas. It's nicely textured on the ripe, dry, lightly honeyed, medium+ bodied palate with very nice aroma replays. Fresh acids linger through to the finish, with very good length. Score: 90+ pts

WINE ART TECHNI ALIPIAS WHITE BLEND 2021 - PGI Drama, Greece (#27224) (XD) - $24.95
This blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Assyrtiko has a fresh, medium-high to highly aromatic nose with ripe tropical fruit, guava, passion fruit, grassy, and green aromas joined by citrus, white peach, and herbs. On the dry, medium+ bodied palate it has pleasing aroma replays and subtle minerality on the flavour profile. With balanced acidity it also has a crunchy mid-palate. Very good length on the citrus and herbally finish. Score: 89 pts

PINK BANG 2021 - PGI Drama, Greece (XD) - $28.95
100% Touriga Nacional from vines planted in 2009. Crafted using the saignée method by Akis who is a fan of the "The Big Bang Theory" sitcom. The medium-high intensity nose is fresh and concentrated with aromas of strawberry, red cherry, and hints of lime citrus. It's fresh with vibrant acidity on the dry palate with lovely aroma replays joined by blueberry notes on the flavour profile. Very good length on the dry, crisp finish. Score: 89 pts

WINE ART TECHNI ALIPIAS RED BLEND 2018 - PGI Drama, Greece (#26944) (XD) - $27.95
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Agiorgitiko, this has an open, highly aromatic, and fragrant nose of dried rose florals, sweet spices, sweet cassis, currant, cherry, and vanillin oak. It's medium-full bodied with smooth, rounded tannins and nice aroma replays surrounded by sweet oak in a slightly commercial profile. Acids are fresh and nicely balanced, while the finish length is very good. Score: 89 pts