A Greek wine from Santorini has been listed as the top wine in the world on food and beverage-ranking website Taste Atlas.
Other varieties of Greek wine have been included in a Taste Atlas list of the top 100 drinks and beverages from around the world, which included wines from France, Italy, Chile and Argentina.
The Greek Wines Listed on Taste Atlas
The Vinsanto of Santorini
The first Greek wine on the list is the Vinsanto, which comes in first place overall. As the Taste Atlas article states, it is a dessert wine from Santorini, made with dried Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes.
Although the wine is similarly named, this Greek bottle has little in common with the better-known Vin Santo from Tuscany. The grapes are dried for around 14 days and then fermented and ripened.
To achieve its full-bodied flavor, this wine must be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two years, though most producers choose to age it for longer. The result is a sweet and dense wine full of flavor and rich in aromas. Both grape varieties are white-skinned, but the Vinsanto takes on a luscious golden color, which typically turns darker as the drink ages.
Taste Atlas reports that the wine is honeyed, sweet and full-bodied, with aromas redolent of figs, raisins, apricots, caramel, nuts and sweet spices, and that despite the concentrated flavors and dense texture, Vinsanto manages to remain balanced, maintaining acidity and freshness.
It is said that the wine should be served chilled, can be drunk on its own, and also pairs well with desserts and cheese.
The sour black wine of Naousa
Listed in position 25 on Taste Atlas is the wine of Naousa. These are of the Xinomavro variety, native Greek wines that are often compared to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.
According to Taste Atlas, Naousa wine offers the perfect balance of tannins, sugars and acidity, while aromas and flavors include a complex combination of savory notes often redolent of dark and red fruits, tomatoes, plums, earth, smoke, herbs and spices.
Because of its complexity and finesse, Xinomavro is commonly cited as one of the best Greek wines. A ideal pairing for this tannic wine is game, lamb, tomato-based sauces, hearty stews, sausages, mushrooms and aged cheese, according to Taste Atlas.
Malagousia
Sitting at number 39 is Malagousia, an ancient, white-skinned Greek grape that was saved from extinction by Vangelis Gerovassiliou, who brought it back from obscurity in the 1970s. The grape produces aromatic dry wines, which are usually of excellent quality.
“It is also used to make dense and perfumed dessert styles. On the nose, the wines display intense aromas often reminiscent of peaches, pears, and tropical fruit, usually with citrusy, herbal, and subtle floral notes. On the palate, they are full-bodied, rich, and round, and the best examples manage to remain lively and fresh,” according to Taste Atlas.
Assyrtiko
At number 51 is Assyrtiko, with a white grape variety indigenous to the island of Santorini, which can also be found on other Aegean islands such as Paros. The soil of the island, which is rich in volcanic ash, appears to allow the grapes to retain their acidity regardless of how long they ripen, which gives these wines a long aging potential.
Agiorgitiko
Agiorgitiko is the most widely planted red grape variety in Greece. It is cultivated in lots of wine regions, but Nemea, where the grape originated, is its most significant region. Agiorgitiko is a versatile grape that can be vinified into several styles, and is often used as a backbone in many Greek blends.
Moschofilero
Moschofilero is a Greek grape that comes from Peloponnese. It is an aromatic and late-ripening variety that gives high yields, but is sometimes sensitive and difficult to grow. Although it has a common presence, Moschofilero was only popularized in the 1970s and ’80s, primarily by the producers from PDO Mantinia, the most important wine region for Moschofilero.
Nemea
Located in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese, Nemea is a Greek appellation that produces varietal red wines from the native Agiorgitiko grapes. Despite the variety in style of the wines, from easy-drinking to rich and full-bodied, they typically display flavors and aromas redolent of red and black berries, plums, and prunes, while oak-aging tends to highlight spicy subtleties of nutmeg and black pepper.
In addition to the two Greek wines that made the list, Taste Atlas listed Greek coffees, as well as ouzo and tsikoudia, among the 100 best drinks in the world.
It is worth mentioning that number one on the list is Aguas Frescas, from Mexico, a light non-alcoholic drink made from a combination of fruits, cucumbers, fllowers, seeds and grains, mixed with sugar and water.
TasteAtlas is an experiential travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes. Describing itself as “a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants”, it features an interactive global food map with dish icons shown in their respective regions and purportedly contains nearly 10,000 dishes, drinks, and ingredients, as well as 9,000 restaurants.