In a forgotten vineyard high up in Ymittos or in an old vineyard lost in the winter fog next to the river in Florina, there may be something worth «waking up»: one of the many indigenous grape varieties of Greece, forgotten for decades, which is waiting for one or another oenologist-«explorer» to discover it. The diversity of the Greek vineyard, a positive consequence of the fragmentation of cultivation, is one of its great assets and makes it fascinating, as Konstantinos Lazarakis, the first Greek Master of Wine (MW) and one of only 415 people worldwide who hold this title, points out in an interview with APE-MPA.
«Italy has 60 times more wine production than Greece and has about 1000 varieties, many of which are found in other countries. Many of Spain's varieties are also found in France and Portugal. But Greece, with one sixtieth of Italy's production, has hundreds of varieties - some 300, others 500 - many of which are forgotten or lost. Greek varieties are quite special in the sense that many of them are endemic, found only in our country. For this particularity, we could describe Greece as the “Jurassic Park” of the European vineyard, as I like to say. At the moment we have about 200 varieties in our hands, but we are constantly discovering new ones,» he says, ahead of the two-day wine event «Map of Flavours», which starts at 12 noon tomorrow, Saturday, at the «Ioannis Vellidis» conference centre in Thessaloniki.
Are there any of the not widely known varieties that have been «discovered» relatively recently and have a promising outlook? Among others, Konstantinos Lazarakis mentions the red Limniona, the Liatiko variety and the white Vidiano, adding that «even Xinomavro, which in Greece is considered an “established” variety, is a “novel” variety abroad».
Rare, exotic and exciting
The day after tomorrow, the Greek MW will give a talk entitled «Everything you need to know about Greek wine in just 30 minutes», at an event organized by the WSPC - Wine & Spirit Professional Center, as part of the «Map of Flavors». However, he says, Greek wine cannot be learned in half an hour. «Through this talk, the goal is for those attending to gain a more positive and “sexy” image of Greek wine, more aligned with reality. This is because Greeks still have ideas that don't ‘click“ with the real image of Greek wine today, which emanate from the image that Greek wine had decades ago. Greek wine is a small percentage of the world's wine production and is therefore a rarity. So when we have a bottle of Greek wine on our table, then we have something that is globally considered rare and exotic,” he says. As an example, he says that, for example, in Australia, the top five companies in the industry produce 85% of the country's wine, so the landscape there is much less exciting than in Greece, where variety dominates. »And there is no better way to showcase this diversity than through events like the Map of Flavours,« he concludes.
The «champagne» of the East in the Roots of Arcadia
The Map of Flavours will run for one weekend, with opening hours 12:00-20:00. During the event, wine producers, distillers, wine importers, wine, catering and tourism professionals and thousands of wine lovers will taste, discuss, exchange views and experiences in an elegant, pleasant and civilised environment. The 19th edition of the Map of Flavours features wineries representing all wine regions of the country.
More than 150 winemakers and distillers, as well as wine importers representing wineries from all major wine producing countries. More than 1,000 labels, a wide range of wines, starting with the fresh 2022 vintage, new labels and packaging, several of which will debut at the event, through to top Greek favourites and exciting international selections. The «Map of Flavours» is offered as a venue to sample the latest wine trends.
The «Map of Flavours» is accompanied by a rich programme of parallel events, with vertical tastings, presentations and scientific contributions, as well as cooking demonstrations by leading chefs and pastry chefs. Wine School seminars will also be held in English, which provide basic steps of tasting and «introduce» participants to the wine regions of Greece, giving foreign visitors the opportunity to discover Greek wines.
There will also be a screening of the film «Arcadia 1900, Champagne de l'Orient», in which director and screenwriter Kostas Spyropoulos documents the story of the Papanikolaou brothers, who managed to produce excellent sparkling wine in the village of Rizes, in Tegea, Arcadia, from 1885 to 1935.
The two-day wine event is organized by Wine Plus with the support of TIF-Helexpo SA and is under the auspices of the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki Gastronomy Festival, the National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine, the Association of Greek Wine and the Panhellenic Union of Wine Growers._
Alexandra Guta
* The sponsor of the event is the Athens News Agency-Macedonian News Agency (APE-MPA).
