Wine Guide

The following wine descriptions are made from my own tasting notes and follow this format:

Name of the wine, followed by the maker.

Approximate restaurant price.

Grapes used (if known).

Wine type (Dry, off-dry, medium-dry).

Colour. (excluded for the red wines)

Nose.

Palate.

Finish.

Alcohol and Classification.

VdT - Vin de Table
VdP - Vin de Payes
AO - Appellation of Origin

Modern Greek whites are fresh, fruity and very new world in style. Take a look at some of the new 'zingy', dry Sauvignons.

Price: 10,00 Euro
Debina grape (indigenous)
Dry. Pale light-green. Invigorating Substantial middle palate. Long, crisp, crunchy apple/pear aftertaste. Scores high for individuality. 11.5% AO.

Price: 11,00 Euro
Athiri grape (indigenous)
Dry. Pale, green-silvery tints. Discreet white-melon nose. Concentrated grapy fruit. Crisp dry finish. 11.5%. VdP.

Price: 12,00 Euro
A￿ni and Assyrtiko grapes (indigenous)
Dry. Straw coloured. Fruity mineral nose. Bodied, volcanic ashy palate. Lengthy finish. 13%. AO.

Price: 14.50 Euro
Sauvignon Blanc
Dry and prickly. Pale green. Ripe nose. Clean fruit flavours. Short flinty finish. (Popular with our Greek clientele.) 11.5% VdP.

Price: 16,00 Euro
Sauvignon Blanc, Assyriko (indigenous) grapes. Dry and crisp. Clear and bright with pale lemon colour. Captivating, citrus-peach nose. Green. Floral and flinty. Grapy mouthwatering. Long highly-flavoured crisp finish. Fabulous. 12.5% VdP.

Rhodes tends to produce large quantities of good quality table wine, with a dry new world character, mostly due to its Southern Mediterranean climate. During a recent visit to my favourite supermarket - the Alpha Veropolos or "AB" for short, I noticed this new wine. It is a move away from mass production and is well worth a try. If they can keep up the quality and consistency, then I will be stocking it next year at the Taverna!

Oinothiki Emery from Rhodes. 12%
Price (AB Super Market): 9,95 Euros
Golden straw colour with light green tints. Mature nose with a fruity, citrus scent. Thick and bodied. Oily. Deep summer fruits on the palate, giving way to a light smooth acidic finish. A little too short, but it does keep you going back for more.

Many of the Greek reds are superb. Enjoy light Nemeas (even better chilled) to bodied and chewy Merlots from Costas Lazarithis.

Price 17,00 Euro
Aghioritiko grape (indigenous)
Oak cask-aged for two years. Dry, medium bodied. 12.5% VdT

Price: 14,00 Euro
Aghioritiko grape (indigenous)
Dry. Rich complex nose. Concentrated berries on the palate. Fine vanilla oaked, lengthy finish. 12% AO.

Price: 19,00 Euro
Merlot grape.
Dry. Full bodied. Creamy fruit driven palate. Un-oaked, round chocolaty finish. 13%. VdP.

Price: 20,00 Euro
Syrah grape
Full bodied, dry. Spiced nose. Deep and rich.. Smooth peppery finish. 13% VdP

Price: 25,00 Euro
Cabernet Sauvignon grape
Dry, medium bodied. Blackcurrant and vanilla packed nose. Fruity palate. Defined soft tannin finish. VdP. 13%.

Price: 45,00 Euro
Cabernet Sauvignon grape
A serious wine. Almost black. Evoking essence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Pure fruit palate. Exquisite, long, smoky end with skilful use of oak. Much finesse. World class. 13%. VdT.

Drinking wine is certainly a lot more fun than reading about it! So why the need for this section? To maximize your enjoyment!

When you last had a cold, or bunged-up nose, remember how little taste everything seemed to have? When you smell a dish cooking, you can taste it - you know what it is and know if you will like it. What we know and describe as taste, is actually a combination of two things: what we sense through our noses and our mouths. Without our sense of smell, we are unable to appreciate foods or distinguish between them easily. Different foods 9(and drinks) vary in the amount of vapour (smell) that they give off. Wine for example has a complex smell which is immediately detected the moment you nose nears the glass. Water of course has no smell at all. A stale piece of bread offers very little smell and a good snort would be needed to recover anything at all. By actively (and consciously) smelling everything you drink and eat, you can at least double the pleasure it gives.

Get someone (who will promise not to laugh) to blindfold you and put some sort of nose-clamp on you, whether it be fingers, a peg or swimmer's nose clip. Choose three similarly textured but differently flavoured foods, such as grated apple, potato and carrot, and see if you can distinguish between a mouthful of each.

Retsina, is 'normal' wine that is often undrinkable or poor. It is transferred to barrels made from Cyprus wood - and left to mature. The resin seeps into the wine giving it its particular flavour. Great at lunchtime, but takes some getting used to, but it is drinkable! Some locals add Sprite to their retsina - but they would not normally admit to it.