Greek Wine, Quality and Good Value : Oakville Sommelier

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The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club (OWEC) had another excellent wine tasting by the Kolonaki Group during their April meeting. You may remember reading about OPA! last year and all of the great Greek festivities including entertainment, food, and wine represented by Kolonaki. This past month sommelier Konstantinos Rampaounis walked the club through a tasting of six Greek wines. My favourite of the evening was Agiorgitiko by Boutari, who was named “Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits magazine for 2013 - a distinction that Boutari has now received 17 times.

Sommelier Konstantinos leading wine tasting

Photo Credit: © C. Silversides

Agiorgitiko is one of the hundreds of indigenous grapes found in Greece and the most planted grape variety in this country. It is the only grape which can be named for the Nemea appellation, PDO Nemea, located on an ancient site in the northeastern area of the Peloponnese. The 2013 Agiorgitiko by Boutari is a single varietal dry red wine from Nemea with notes of red fruits, vanilla and cocoa. This versatile, well-structured and food-friendly wine has an aging potential of 5-7 years. It can be served with red meats, sweet sauces, and even served as an aperitif chilled.

This red wine is a tremendous value at $11.95 and can be found in the LCBO. Did you attend the OWEC esoterica Wine Fair in April? If you did, write me a comment and tell me about your favourite wine tasting experience. More about this fair and the many wines available next week!