The document discusses the history and development of Greek winemaking. It notes that while the Greeks were early wine producers, Greek wines were long unknown to most Americans beyond retsina. However, many Greek winemakers are now gaining international attention for their sophisticated wines made from native grape varieties. The document then describes several varieties and producers of high quality Greek whites, rosés, reds, dessert, and retsina wines.

2. The vine did not originate in Greece; it's likely that the
Caucasus, to the east, had that honor. But the ancient
Greeks were making wine from grapes long before most
civilizations, maybe as early as 7000 B.C. And yet, many
Americans' knowledge of the country's viticulture begins
and ends with retsina, the popular white wine flavored
with pine resin. Finally, things are beginning to change:
many Greek winemakers have started attracting
international attention for their sophisticated wines,
which exemplify the great crispness that makes Greek
whites such natural partners to seafood and the
balanced restraint that suits Greek reds so well to lamb
and grilled foods. There are plenty of reasons to embrace
Greek wine; below are seven of my favorites.

3. Native White Grapes
Greek wine growers are learning to maximize the potential of
their indigenous white grapes, knowing that a little bit of
mountain air, and a willingness to pick the grapes before they
swell to cumbersome ripeness, create crackling-crisp white
wines that are gorgeous with many Greek mezedes and with
seafood. The big star is moschofilero, a variety from the
central Peloponnese that creates orange blossom–scented
wines that are racy on the palate, light and airy, and
possessed of a bracing acidity. My favorite is the 2009 Semeli
Mountain Sun White ($12); it has a nose touched with white
pepper, and a clear, crisp palate. Robola, roditis, and savatiano
are other exciting white varieties. The 2009 Ambelones from
Domaine Vassiliou ($17), produced east of Athens, is a blend
of sweet savatiano and melony roditis; low in alcohol (12
percent), it has a memorable lime-leaf quality and fine acidity.

4. Great Rosés
Many Greek rosé producers pack their wine with lots of fruit,
yet the wines show an uncommon lightness and elegance at
the same time. Excellent rosés are being made from north to
south in Greece. One of my top choices is the dry Kir-Yianni
Rosé Akakies ($17), from Amyndeon in Macedonia, in the
north. The 2009 has lovely melon and tomato aromas, plus a
palate that uncannily combines grip and refreshment. Another
winner is the 2009 Gaia 14-18h Rosé ($16), from the
Peloponnese; it has a playful, Barbie-pink hue and one of the
liveliest watermelon–pear noses I've ever sniffed. The island
of Crete has recently emerged as a rosé star; the Douloufakis
winery there combines the local red grape kotsifali with syrah
to create a dry 2009 Enotria Rosé ($14) with bounce and acid.

5. Big Reds with Nuance
Greek red wines are traditionally light-hued and light-bodied, but
today a cadre of pioneering winemakers are deepening their
wines' color, fruit, and texture in deference to 21st-century tastes,
without creating jammy, grandstanding New World–style reds.
The most famous area for richer reds from indigenous grapes is
Nemea, southwest of Athens, a stronghold of Greece's breakout
red grape, agiorgitiko. The 2008 Averoff Fresco ($13) is a
delightful choice, full-bodied but fruity and easy to quaff. A bit
more structured, the 2008 Nemea from Domaine Harlaftis ($10) is
a medium-dark purple wine with plum and leafy-green notes. The
2006 Gaia Estate ($50), from one of Greece's most important
wineries, has a wonderful mineral and ripe black currant nose and
a marvelous concentration that will mellow beautifully with 10 to
15 years of aging. The refosco grape, which came to Greece more
than 150 years ago from Friuli, Italy, is another heavy hitter;
Domaine Mercouri's 2006 Estate Red ($25) from the Peloponnese
is dark garnet with a nose of leather, spice, and chocolate.

6. Xinomavro
My favorite Greek reds, hands down, are made from the native xinomavro grape. It's
cultivated all over northern Greece, but its epicenter is the region surrounding the
town of Naoussa, my personal Shangri-la of red wine in Greece. Like a classic burgundy
or barolo, the best xinomavros yield an exquisitely complex nose and age beautifully.
When xinomavro wine is young, it's light-bodied, shows mellow fruit (strawberries or
raspberries), and has soft tannins that are superlative with grilled foods. Excellent
introductions are the 2006 Kir-Yianni Ramnista ($30), with its red-fruit nose layered
with smoke, and the light and tender 2006 Karydas Naoussa ($26). As xinomavro ages,
something extraordinary happens; the wine lurches into tomato territory—we're
talking ripe tomato, even tomato jam. And as it reaches full maturity, xinomavro
develops hints of earth, white truffle, cedar, even tobacco. Old xinomavro is one of the
wine world's great thrills, and luckily, some old ones are available in the United States.
The 2000 Vaeni Grand Reserve ($23) delivers a compelling mingling of tomato, cherry,
and tobacco aromas and a lean, slightly green, exotically complex flavor. The 2003
Grande Reserve Naoussa from Boutari ($25) carries a lovely fruit nose, with hints of
leather and tomato.

7. Wines of Santorini
The island of Santorini, in the southern Aegean Sea, is a mound of volcanic rock with
mineral-rich soil, whipped by strong winds that have prompted the winemakers to
train their vines to curl into rounded "baskets" hugging the dirt. This fine marriage of
fruit and terrain yields dry, austere wines made from the assyrtiko grape that manage
to be both rich and steely at the same time. To taste Santorini assyrtiko at its best, try
Gaia's vibrant 2008 Thalassitis ($26) and the bone-dry, lemony 2009 Argyros Assyrtiko
($26).
Dessert Wines
Late-harvest, sweet wines from Greece have always had a market; syrupy muscats
from the Greek islands, for example, have been coveted across Europe since the
Middle Ages. The most famous island for dessert muscat is Samos; my favorite bottle is
the super-concentrated Samos Nectar ($28), made by the island's winemaking
cooperative; it has a tawny color and blazes with a raisiny, caramel nose. Another duly
venerated Greek dessert wine is the vin santo from Santorini, made from that island's
storied assyrtiko grapes (see above), some of which have been dried in the sun to
concentrate their flavors. Try the 2003 Sigalas Vinsanto Santorini ($50); it has an
alluring amber color, a viscous texture, and tropical fruit flavors.

8. Real Retsina
I love that retsina is born of a 2,000-year-old tradition, held over from the days when
amphorae of white wine had their stoppers sealed with pine resin. But I love even
more that the rasp of the resin is so harmonious with kalamata olives, feta, and many
other Greek foods. If you don't like retsina, it may be because unscrupulous producers
have long used the resin to cover the taste of oxidized wine. But find a fresh and
graceful version, such as the inexpensive Malamatina ($4) from Macedonia, and a
lightbulb is sure to go off. Better still, seek out retsinas from Greece's best-known
winemakers; the astonishing Gaia Ritinitis Nobilis ($16) has the concentrated feel and
complexity of a grand wine, with just a hint of high-quality resin from Greece's Aleppo
pines.

9. Greek White Wine Varieties
Find Perfect white Wine varieties From :
https://www.yolenis.com/73/white_wines

10. Greek Red Wine Varieties
Find Perfect Red wine varieties From :
https://www.yolenis.com/74/red_wines

11. Greek Rose Wine Varieties
Find Perfect Rose wine varieties From :
https://www.yolenis.com/75/rose_wines

12. Greek Dessert Wine Varieties
Find Perfect Dessert wine varieties From :
https://www.yolenis.com/76/dessert_wines