OK, so it's probably too late to salvage the Greek economy by purchasing a boatload of that country's wines. But there are plenty of other good reasons -- more than ever, in fact -- to sample some juice from that history-laden land.
Slowly but surely, Greek winemaking has improved over the years. And almost as pokily, more of them have made their way to these shores. These are decidedly not your Uncle Nikos' retsinas.
"I've been trying to get Greek wines for three years," said Corey Lahm, owner of the local wine wholesaler Cat & Fiddle. "But because of that Mediterranean sense of urgency, I could never get anyone to return my phone calls."
Lahm finally succeeded last summer and brought in several brands. Two are especially good values: the lean, clean white Megapanos Savatiano ($17) and the bright, soft red blend Vatistas Agiorgitiko50/Cab 50 ($20).
Yes, brands and grapes can be hard to pronounce, but there are other reasons why Greek wines have been slow to gain a foothold here, except among fiercely loyal immigrants.
"Greece has always had an inward look," said Bill Abrahamson, wine buyer for the Northgate/Top Ten chain. "They always made Greek wines for Greek people, with the kind of resiny flavors that are appealing to them. But now they've taken more of an outward look, to make wines that have a more worldly appeal, nice fruity whites and a wide array of light to medium-bodied reds with soft tannins."
Those reds are the revelation from a country associated with sun-splashed whites. The most popular red grapes -- the supple agiorgitiko, also known as Saint George (check out the Domaine Skouras Nemea, $14), and the more herbal xinomarvo -- are reminiscent of Rhône reds in their combination of approachability and (in many cases) ageability.
The whites tend toward the light and lively -- "eager to please," Abrahamson aptly puts it -- and aromatic enough to almost transport us to Santorini. Moschofilero is especially floral and honeyed (try the Boutari Mantina, $13), while roditis has a touch more elegance. The Domaine Skouras white ($11) combines those two grapes to bright, vibrant effect; Tsantali blends roditis with zoumiatis in its crisp but smooth Makedonikas ($14). The lively asyrtiko can shine alone (D. Koutakis, $13) or in a blend (Costa Lazaridi Amethystos, $19).
Not surprisingly, these wines pair beautifully with souvlaki, moussaka and dolmades. Perhaps to a fault. There's a reason we still don't see many Greek wines at non-Greek restaurants.
"More than any Mediterranean wine region, Greek wines start with Greek cuisine," Abrahamson said, "and the two of them are marvelously married. But when you take that wine and put it in a world context, there might be some puzzlement."
These days that's a puzzle worth solving.
Bill Ward • bill.ward@startribune.com
