Overview: The second Great Greek Wines event took place at OXO2 on London’s South Bank, featuring 400 wines from 40 producers. Organized by Yiannis Karakasis MW and Gregory Michailos, the gathering demonstrated Greece’s evolution as a viticultural powerhouse. International panels of Masters of Wine and leading wine experts blind tasted Greek wines bought on the open market to compile The List.
The Full Story
It still seems somehow remarkable that Greek wine – which ten years ago was absolutely nowhere in the UK wine trade – is now, alongside sparkling wine and rosé, one of the few really bright spots. Any importer worth their salt now has at least one agency in their portfolio or is in the process of finding one. The event proved once and for all that Greece is one of the most exciting countries currently producing wine.
Great Greek Wines (GGW) is a fully independent platform whose aim is to present as much of the Greek wine industry as possible. Wines are purchased anonymously from the open market and tasted blind by international panels of Masters of Wine and leading wine experts. Each year, only the highest-performing wines – around 10% of all entries – earn a place on The List. Annual tastings, dinners and masterclasses are then set up in key markets such as the UK, Germany, Poland, Netherlands and Belgium.
Justin Keay noted that knowing all this, he really shouldn’t have been surprised when he rocked up at OXO2 to find quite so many wines. Well over 40 tables including producer tables and various themed tables were present, along with lots of attendees. The Buyer described the sheer size of this tasting as a showstopper, featuring getting on for 400 wines.
Production & Profile
Wines from all over the Greek mainland were featured, as well as across its islands, most notably Santorini, Crete, Tinos and Kefalonia but also Cyprus too. Themed tables included ‘the importance of place in Greek wine’ and ‘really obscure varieties’. Standout wines include Alpha Estate Turtles Malagouzia 2025 (Florina), a rich, sensuous take on the variety showing honeysuckle and apricot on a long floral palate at 13.5% alcohol.
Barba Yannis 2022 Reserve Old Vines Single Block (PDO Amyndeon) is a topclass Xinomavro: single vineyard, made from grapes grown on 100-year-old ungrafted vines, and fermented using indigenous yeasts. Complex, the wine spends two years in barrel and one in bottle before release. Kir-Yianni Raminsta 2021 is full on, showing lots of red fruit, amidst suggestions of tobacco and blackberry. Medium weight.
Oenops Wines Limniona 2023 is a lovely textured wine having spent ten months on its lees and fermenting in amphorae. Vindiano 2025 is a 100% Vidiano produced in conjunction with growers in Crete: very textured and quite full on, the unfiltered wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation in a combination of large oak barrels, stainless steel, clay amphorae and concrete tanks. Troupis Winery Ekato was fermented on the skins for 100 days with indigenous yeasts to make this moreish, characterful, dark orange wine.
Brand & Industry History
GGW was founded by Yiannis Karakasis MW, who organises the events with Gregory Michailos. They felt a lot of the producers need more recognition and have travelled extensively to find the best of the best. Gaia Wines is an iconic producer – founded in 1994 by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and Leon Karatasalos – known for classy wines from both Santorini and Nemea in the Peloponnese. Kechris Winery has helped completely redefine Retsina using varieties such as Xinomavro and Assyrtiko alongside the more usual Roditis, which is the focus of Kechris since its foundation back in 1911.
What This Means
Given the success of this event, it seems almost certain a third edition will be seen next year: there are simply too many great Greek wines out there, and importers seem keen to add more to their portfolios. However, it is hoped that next time things are arranged more thematically focusing say on region – including the islands whose wines are all very distinct – or on varieties, or styles. Frankly, there’s so much happening in the world of Greek wine these days that the risk of being overwhelmed is very real.
Consumer Takeaway
This bottle or news offers the drinker access to a fully independent platform presenting as much of the Greek wine industry as possible. The List represents an unbiased, well-curated window on this fast-evolving treasure trove where only the top 10% of entries earn a place. Consumers can expect wines from regions like Macedonia, Santorini, Crete, Tinos, Kefalonia, Cyprus, Florina, and Amyndeon, featuring varieties such as Assyrtiko, Xinomavro, Moschofilero, Malagouzia, Agiorgitiko, Limniona, and rare finds like Santameriana.
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