323: Why Did Greece Have the First Sommeliers, Wine Tastings and Writers? Konstantinos Lazarakis Reveals the Answers

What are some of the significant contributions that Greece has made to the world of wine? How does the Greek volcanic island of Santorini produce wines of stunning depth and freshness at the same time? How are Greek wines shifting the perspective on what’s possible for warm climate wines?

In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Master of Wine Konstantinos Lazarakis.

You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks

 

Giveaway

Two of you are going to win a copy of his terrific book, The Wines of Greece. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [e-mail] and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. I’ll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!

 

Highlights

What are some of the significant contributions to wine made in Greece?

What are some of the unique and complex terroirs found in Greece for wine production?

How do Santorini's wines achieve both incredible depth and freshness?

What are the hallmark characteristics of Assyrtiko grapes, and how does the wine pair with food?

How does the tasting experience of Moschofilero compare with that of Assyrtiko?

What should you know about Greece’s flagship red grapes, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro?

Which regions are a must-try in your exploration of Greek wines?

How was Retsina developed, and why does Konstantinos think it’s one of the greatest hopes for the Greek wine industry?

How did the Greek financial crisis impact and improve the Greek wine industry?

What are some of the opportunities and challenges in the future of Greek wines?

 

Key Takeaways

As Konstantinos observes, Greece was not the first to make wine or even the first to have a God that is dedicated to wine, but we did a lot of things for the first time: the first appellations or regions, sommeliers, wine writers and tastings. For the Greek symposia, the whole format of consuming wine was essential in making sure that symposia were an amazing celebration of the human intellect, and the bringing together of ideas.

Konstantinos explains that because Santorini is a volcanic island it has a young soil that’s coarse. The vines grow on their own roots, but above ground, it's very windy, extremely hot, so the vines have to kept low on ground to capture a little humidity and be protected from the wind. They trained these vines as baskets by weaving the vine canes over years. Everything that is on the periphery is torn apart by the wind, but then you have only the middle that survives. Every about 30-40 years, the basket gets too bulky, so it's chopped apart and a new cane from the old root system starts a new basket. The root system is four hundred years old. For context, he adds, four centuries ago, Bordeaux was a swamp.

Konstantinos says that many people believe that a cool climate wine is superior to a warm climate one. But warm climates can produce amazing wines. Greece has a lot of places that are cold, even more so than the Loire Valley in France. Over the years, the Greeks selected grapes with full flavors at lower levels of alcohol.

 

About Konstantinos Lazarakis MW

Konstantinos Lazarakis MW is the first person in Greece to have passed the notoriously difficult Master of Wine exams. He is the author of Wines of Greece, published by Academie du Vin. As well, he serves as the President of Wines & Spirits Professional Center, General Manager of Aiolos Wines and CEO of Wine Wonders.

 

Bonus Interview Highlights – Matt Cauz

How do I distinguish between sexist, sexy, and sexual writing?