When thinking of Greece, many images come to mind, including the Acropolis, the Olympics and the beautiful Greek Isles.
With Greece joining the European Union, it opened doors to the world to introduce this beautiful country and its rich culture.
I must confess my knowledge of Greek wines was fairly limited until recently.
My friends and I have been exploring Greek cuisine and wines at several newer local restaurants, including Basils, Kostas, Tasso's and the CityGate Grill.
I was delighted to find that the quality of Greek wines has dramatically improved from prior tastings, which prompted some delightful research.
Greece With early signs of wine making traced back 6,500 years ago, Greece is clearly one of the oldest wine regions in the world.
Wine played a role in spreading Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean, as their wines were in demand.
Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, developed a loyal following with wine lovers.
Greek wines were also favored by the Roman Empire, which further developed their wine trade.
Greeks helped pioneer wine production in Spain, southern France and Italy.
In the 1960's in the U.
S.
, Retsina and Roditis symbolized Greek wine.
They were not the best ambassador for Greece, as these high volume wines were lower quality.
Today, the Greek wine industry is undergoing change, where both new winemakers and established wineries are emphasizing lower yield, higher quality wines.
Combining Greece's wonderful climate, distinct Terroir (the volcanic soil on Santorini) with modern wine making techniques, helps the new breed of winemakers produce world class wines.
These winemakers are moving to an international style, by also producing wines with Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier.
Important winery names to keep in mind include Boutari, Skouras, Lazaridis and Sigalas.
There are hundreds of grape varietals used in wine production in seven major wine regions.
These include wine regions on the mainland (Peloponnese, Macedonia Thessalia, Epirus) and several island groups (the Aegean Islands, Crete and the Ionian Islands).
There is inadequate space to do this justice, so I decided to focus on some wines included on local restaurant's wine lists and also available for sale at local wine merchants.
Greek Wines and Food Pairings One of the enjoyable and rewarding aspects of writing this column is to meet other people in the food and beverage industry who share a passion for this business.
I recently met up with some friends at Basils, in the Fox Valley Mall.
We wanted to patronize this business as they signed on to donate food for The Rotary Club of Naperville's Soup's On! fundraiser (we believe in supporting businesses that give back to their community).
While sitting in their delightful patio dining area, we had a chance to discuss Greek wines and cuisine with Jimmy Petsas, the Managing Partner for this fine establishment.
One way Basils help introduce patrons to Greek wines is to offer wine flights, a sampling of several wines at once.
We discussed Greek wines on their wine list.
On the white wine side, Jimmy recommends Moschofilero, an aromatic, crisp light white wine that reminds him of Pinot Grigio.
He likes to pair this with seafood and chicken dishes.
Being a Greek restaurant, our conversation turned to lamb dishes.
He recommends the Kokkinisto Hilopites, a Rosé style wine, with braised lamb cooked in a cinnamon flavored tomato sauce.
For broiled lamb chops, Jimmy prefers Skouras's St.
George Aghiorghitiko red wine (what would a column on Greek food and wine be without some long words?).
This aromatic red is full-bodied yet easy drinking.
He likes Rosés in general with Greek food, as they pair well with most Greek dishes, pasta and grilled meats.
Greek dessert wines are under-appreciated and Jimmy has a goal of introducing them to his customers.
We tried Nama Byzantino, a ruby port style wine, and found it very appealing.
This grapey, sweet port pairs well with fresh apples and pears.
With Jimmy's assistance, we found that Greek food and wine was no longer Greek to us.
Bill's Wine Picks White Wines Boutari Moschofilero - 87 pts.
Wine Spectator - grapefruit and mineral flavors Boutari Santorini - 88 pts.
Wine Spectator - apple, pear, powerful minerality Red Wines Skouras Saint George Nemea - 86 pts.
Wine Spectator - juicy, crisp red fruit, spice Boutari Naoussa - 2006 rated 88 pts.
Wine Spectator - age worthy, earthy, fine fruit Wine of the Month: Sigalas Sontorini White Wine Peter Sigalas is an up-and-comer on the Greek wine scene.
His strength is Greek whites.
Wines made from the Assyrtiko grape tend to be dry, have good acidity, offer citrus aromas and mineral flavors from the island's volcanic soil.
The Wine Spectator rates the 2009 vintage 89 points and states it is a crisp, well-structured white with flavors of Fuji apple, kiwifruit, anise, a touch of honey.
It pairs well with fresh fish and seafood.