Wine from Where?

Welcome to “Wine from Where?”,  a feature that I hope to post bi-weekly or monthly. After spending the last year plus trying all sorts of wines from around the world and wanting to try more, I thought I would start to share wine reviews from the lesser known wine regions of the world. There are many places out there that make wine, and I had no idea before I started blogging! This year I have tried wine from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, and a variety of regions in the US.

Today’s focus is on Greek wine and more specifically wine from Santorini. I received a couple of bottles of Greek wine as free samples, and since I had only tried Greek wine once before, I decided it would be the focus of my first post.

I put the bottle of Canava Roussos Nykteri in the freezer for about 40 minutes to chill it before drinking. The Nykteri wine is made from the Assyrtiko grape (score! another to add to my Century Club list!), grown in Santorini’s sandy, volcanic soil. From the Wines from Santorini literature I received:

There is archaeological evidence supporting the cultivation of the vine on Santorini that dates back almost 5000 years. However, it was the eruption of around 1600 BC that made the unique wines of Santorini what they are today. The explosion left behind a mixture of volcanic ash, pumice stone, and pieces of solidified lava  and sand which together make up the soil of Santorini known as “aspa”. For more information on aspa and the challenging grape growing conditions on Santorini check out the Santorini wine blog.

Aged in oak, the Nykteri is a darker color than many of the typical whites that you may drink, and I immediately noticed it’s more golden hue.

Nykteri is a dry white, and after one sip, the first thing I thought was that it was like a dry Vinsanto, which is typically a sweet dessert wine. After reading a little more, I made the connection that Vinsanto originates in Santorini and is made from the Assyrtiko grape. I love making those types of connections with my taste buds! It was most definitely unique in flavor and took a few sips before I decided that I really liked it! This wine had both a refreshing hint of fruit flavor along with a richness of a smoky vanilla. It is definitely a sipping wine, and I actually liked it more as it warmed up.

I received a few other fun treats in the box, and I will be writing about those soon. A Greek food and wine pairing is in my future no doubt!

I hope you enjoyed my first “Wine from Where?” post and learning about lesser known wine regions as much as I do. Special thanks to Constance for introducing me to Greek wine!