The New Greek Wines – Try Them at WBC12

One of the great things about the Wine Bloggers Conference, of course, is you get to try hundreds of wines. Many of these are from the local host region but we also include wines from all over the world.

On Saturday, August 18th at 5:30 PM New Wines of Greece will be hosting a pre-dinner reception at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland. If you have not tried Greek wines recently, this is your chance.

Greeks have been producing wine for more than 4000 years and it was arguably in Greece that wine first became part of a people’s daily culture. However, it was only during the last 25 years that the Greek wine industry underwent a complete transformation, with a tremendous investment in modern winemaking technology and a new generation of Greek winemakers trained at the best wine schools around the world.

Greece has a mountainous landscape with a diverse variety of terroirs. It also has the moderating Mediterranean climate that helps to produce such wonderful wines. The most distinct advantage Greek wine brings to the market, though, are the more than 300 unique indigenous grapes varieties (including Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro), some under cultivation since ancient times. Not many countries in the world can claim that.

We all know Greece has been in the news lately. The current economic situation in Greece has given the focus on exports, especially to the US and Canada, a special sense of urgency. And exports of Greek wines to North America continue to rise. Greek wines offer a great ratio of price to quality, especially  in the medium to upper price categories.

So close your eyes and imagine yourself on vacation in Greece, sitting at a small restaurant overlooking the water with a breeze ruffling the white tablecloth and a glass of excellent Greek wine in your hand. You’ll be part way there at our Saturday pre-dinner reception at WBC12.