Friday: Greek rosé wines corner

When we asked our team of researchers what Greece, and Greek culture, have given to the world, they came up with this:

Homer epic poetry Hesiod didactic poetry Sappho lyric poetry Pindar odes Aeschylus tragedy Sophocles tragedy Euripides tragedy Aristophanes comedy Herodotus history Thucydides history Xenophon history Plato philosophy Aristotle philosophy Socrates ethics Diogenes Cynicism Zeno Stoicism Epicurus Epicureanism Pythagoras mathematics Euclid geometry Archimedes physics engineering Eratosthenes geography Hipparchus astronomy Aristarchus heliocentrism Anaximander cosmology Democritus atomism Hippocrates medicine Galen medicine Herophilus anatomy Ptolemy astronomy geography Phidias sculpture Praxiteles sculpture Polykleitos sculpture Ictinus architecture Callicrates architecture Mnesicles architecture Parthenon architecture Athenian democracy political theory Solon lawgiver Cleisthenes reforms Pericles statesmanship Alexander the Great empire‑building Hellenistic science Alexandria library Septuagint translation Byzantine theology Cappadocian Fathers Orthodox liturgy Hagia Sophia architecture Procopius history Anna Komnene history Photios scholarship Cyril and Methodius Slavic literacy Byzantine diplomacy Greek fire military technology Cretan Renaissance literature El Greco painting Rigas Feraios nationalism Adamantios Korais Enlightenment Greek War of Independence Philhellenism modern Greek state Venizelos diplomacy Cavafy poetry Seferis poetry Elytis poetry Kazantzakis literature Theodorakis music Hadjidakis music Papandreou political thought Onassis shipping Greek diaspora scholarship modern Greek cinema modern Greek science modern Greek shipping global Greek cuisine Mediterranean diet.

“Ah,” we countered, but they never invented cocktails!” But they did have-no, do have- some fine rosé wines. So to counter this obvious aching gap in Greek culture we sent those same researchers off to create a short but very handy guide to three Greek Rosés, priced to all pockets,  which could make for some delicious  refreshments if it gets as hot as we think it might get hot in this El Niño summer. (See LSS 5 6 26)

£8–£10 — Kourtaki Retsina Rosé (Attica)

Often found in larger Tesco or Sainsbury’s stores, depending on region. Dry, light, herbal, very Greek, very summery. (If your local doesn’t stock it, M&S sometimes carries a Greek rosé under its “Found” range.)

£12–£14 — Mylonas Rosé (Mandilaria/Agiorgitiko, Attica)

Available from The Wine Society, Waitrose Cellar, and several independents. A proper step up: strawberry, pomegranate, a little herb; beautifully balanced.

£18–£22 — Gaia 14–18h Rosé (Agiorgitiko, Nemea)

A cult bottle. Stocked by Berry Bros. & Rudd, The Wine Society, and good Greek specialists. Serious rosé: pale Provençal style but with Greek backbone and minerality.

Sorry if they forgot Demis Roussos

With thanks to Mrs MF of Bridport, Dorset

#wine #greece #hellenic #rosé  #holiday #demis roussos