Santorini may provide Greece’s postcard industry with the country’s quintessential scene-cliff-top, whitewashed homes set against the cerulean blue Aegean-but the island is also one of the country’s most prominent areas for winemaking. It was a spot-on match with the mizithra cheese and honey, and a bargain at $19.99. This deep golden wine isn’t overly sweet instead it has a bright liveliness to it, with Muscat’s signature grapey perfume and notes of orange marmalade, raisins, honey, and walnuts. The Samos Nectar is made from grapes that have been dried in the sun and then aged in oak barrels for three years. Although some dry wines are made, the island is most famous for the sweet versions, which comes in two basic styles: one made from sun-dried grapes and the other fortified with grape spirit (i.e. Since 1934, all production has been in the hands of the Union Of Winemaking Cooperative of Samos. The altitude (up to 900 m) tempers the hot Mediterranean climate and helps retain that all-important acidity.

The main grape here is Muscat a Petit Grains, grown on terraces that line the slopes of Mt. Winemaking on the island of Samos, just a mile off the west coast of Turkey, can be traced back as far as 1200 B.C. However, this is best served on its own as it is just too sweet and makes the wines tart. It’s hard not to include baklava on the table, as no Greek meal would seem complete with out a bite of gooey phyllo, honey and walnuts. I tried mizithra, a fresh sheep’s milk cheese, drizzled with honey and graviera kritis, a firm Swiss-like cheese also made from sheep’s milk. Greeks usually pair them with cheese and fruit. Finding them in retail stores is a bit of a challenge, unless you live near a Greek neighborhood like Astoria, Queens (Omega wines has a good selection), but they are featured on wine lists in most Greek restaurants. Styles vary by region/island, but I decided to sample three of the most well known: Muscat of Samos, Vinsanto from Santorini and Mavrodaphne of Patras from the Peloponnese. While Greek dry wines have been making a name for themselves lately, the country has a long tradition of making dessert and fortified wines. I love the people, the landscape, the history, the food, and, of course, the wine. The experience didn’t just set the hook for my love of travel, it made me want to immerse myself in other cultures and get to know the people. Many of our meals were spent with extended family, most of whom didn’t speak English, so my Greek vocabulary consists of mainly tableware and food (although I did learn the Greek words for all the colors from their five-year-old cousins Giorgos and Kostas).

My Greek parents and two sisters welcomed me into their family as if I had always been a part of it. When I was 17 years old I spent the summer living with a family in Athens as an American Field Service exchange student, and it was a life-defining experience.

Posted on OctoUpdated on November 19, 2014įirst, I must confess that I have a special fondness for all things Greek.

Greek platters at sip and bite