The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club (OWEC) recently put on a fantastic special event, OPA! This fun-filled evening of Greek music, food, and wine. Did you know that among Greeks the exclamation "Opa!" actually means "Oops!" or "Whoops!" and is used when someone drops or breaks an object? At one point it became a word used to praise performers accompanied by the breaking of plates and continues to have several meanings. Our wine presenter Steve Kriaris, President of Kolonaki Group, told us in recent times people used to break plates in appreciation of a good meal for the chef to hear, then the chef would know it was a great meal. He went on to tell us in more modern times since the recession, Greeks have begun throwing napkins into the air instead of plates which is a lot more cost effective and less dangerous.
Moschofilero BoutariMoschofilero Boutari
Photo credit: © C. Silversides
Let me tell you we did break more than a few dishes to show our appreciation for our meal, and now I know firsthand what Steve was talking about when he said it could be a dangerous practice - plate pieces were flying everywhere! The fabulous spread was prepared by Colossus Greek Taverna in Oakville: Greek salad, Spanakotiropita, Homous and Tzatziki dips with pita, rice pilaf, potatoes, seafood, chicken and lamb Souvlaki. While dining we were introduced to Greek wines paired with the food.
Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club Special Event: OPA!Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club Special Event: OPA!
Photo credit: © C. Silversides
Kolonaki has been in business for 13 years and has the largest portfolio of Greek wines in Canada. Steve told us more white wine is consumed in Greece than red due to the hot weather, and shared with us the significance of wine to the Greek culture. It is so important that they have a God dedicated to wine: Dionysus.
We enjoyed four wines paired with our dinner from Boutari, which began over 135 years ago in Greece. Beginning with the crisp, refreshing white wine Moschofilero from the Mantinia region, a pink skinned grape which has been compared to Pinot Grigio and Albariño. It is the #1 bottled Greek wine in the world and made an excellent match for the salad and appetizers. A second white wine was introduced, Malagouzia Matsa from the Pallini wine region in the area of Attica from the Matsa vineyard. This aromatic wine with a little more structure, described by Steve as "an easy wine to love," had good acidity and body pairing well with the Souvlaki.
Then we moved on to Agiorgitiko, the most complex grape in Greece, a red wine from the Nemea wine region located in the northeast corner of the Peloponnese. It pairs well with pasta in tomato-based sauce, also pork chops and grilled sausages. The last wine of the evening was their big bold red wine made with the Xinomavro grape from the Naoussa wine region in the northwest region of Macedonia, one of the first AOC regions of Greece. This black and some say bitter grape has been compared to Pinot Noir and Negroamaro. With medium acidity, body, and tannins, Steve told us this wine is "the wine for a feast."
Stelios and Spyros played festive Greek music throughout our feast of an evening. Greek dancing and plate breaking after dinner was seriously big fun. Opa!
So there you have it: Kolonaki and Colossus, OPA!