The Wine Regions of Greece That France Doesn't Want You to Know

The Assyrtiko grape of Santorini is, by any serious technical measure, one of the world's great white wine varietals. Grown in volcanic ash soil in basket-trained vines that have survived the island's devastating summer winds for centuries—some vines are over 70 years old—it produces wines of extraordinary mineral intensity, high natural acidity, and a capacity for ageing that rivals white Burgundy. It also remains largely unknown outside specialist wine circles, which means you can drink it for a fraction of what a comparable Chablis would cost.

The Naoussa region of northern Macedonia produces Xinomavro, a red grape of legendary difficulty. Thin-skinned, high in acid and tannin, slow to express itself in youth, it requires years in bottle and hours in the decanter. When it finally opens, the result is a wine of uncommon complexity—red fruit, dried tomato, olive, leather, tobacco—that shares more structural DNA with Barolo or Burgundy than with anything produced in the warm southern Mediterranean. The wines of Kir-Yianni, Thymiopoulos, and Apostolos Thymiopoulos are the benchmarks.

The Nemea appellation in the Peloponnese grows Agiorgitiko (St George), a softer, more approachable red grape that produces wines ranging from the simple and fruity to the profoundly complex, depending on the producer and the altitude of the vineyard. The high-altitude Nemea vineyards, above 600 metres, produce wines with a freshness and structure that belie the warm climate of the region.

The wine tourism infrastructure of Greece is still developing, which means that visiting the producers directly—something that requires a car, a map, and a willingness to drive down unmarked roads—delivers experiences unavailable in the more codified wine regions of France or Italy. Most Greek wineries welcome unannounced visitors. They pour generously. They talk at length. They will almost certainly invite you to stay for lunch. This is another form of hospitality that the country has not yet learned to monetise.