Winephabet Street Season 2 - A is for Assyrtiko

Welcome to Winephabet Street Season Episode 1 A is for Assyrtiko!

Winephabet Street is a monthly series where Lori Budd of Draceana Wines and I work our way through the alphabet exploring wine and wine regions on letter at a time. The show is live on the third Monday at 8pm and is free, but you must register to attend. Put it on your calendar, pour yourself a glass of wine and hang out with us.

As we begin Season 2 we travel to Greece and learn about the Assyrtiko grape which makes its home on the island of Santorini. It produces a nice dry wine, some aged in oak. Some are also sun-dried and made sweet.

Assyrtiko Wine

For this episode, I visited Viscount Liquor in Fishkill, NY and purchased a bottle of Assyrtiko. However, this bottle from Alexakis is from the island of Crete just south of Santorini. It is a family winery and the largest private winery on the island.

Learn more about the Assyrtiko and the wines we reviewed by listening to the podcast or watch the webinar below.

For more episodes of Winephabet Street visit http://winephabetstreet.com/

Webinar

Podcast

Greek Wine Tasting

Every year for the past four years I've poured at the Ladies of Philoptohos Greek Wine Tasting. It takes place Sunday, November 13 at the Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church in Poughkeepsie.  I am really quite disappointed because this year I will be out of town, but Mr. Hudson Valley Wine Goddess will be pouring in my place. 


I really enjoyed pouring at this event.  It gave me a chance to try the wines from Greece that you wouldn't normally seek out and learn about the indigenous grapes of the region. Surprisingly enough you come across a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. In the past three years I have seen some great strides in the winemaking that has come from this country.

The price of admission to this event is $25 or $30 at the door.  Well worth the price even if you don't drink.  The food is incredible!  Not to mention all those wonderful Greek desserts.  I am hoping my wonderful husband will bring me home those cookies with the powder sugar on it. (some long Greek name I can't pronounce nor spell)


If you want to taste the different wines from Greece, I highly recommend spending Sunday afternoon at this wine tasting.  You will be able to taste the different varieties of wines that Greece produces.  

• Xynomavro - a red variety from the northern Greece.  Typically grown in Macedonia and is compared to a Pinot Noir
• Agiorgitiko - a red variety grown in the Peloponnese region.  Tannic and fruity.
• Moschofilero - grown in the Mantinia region of Peleponnese.  This grape has high acidity with floral and spicy aromas
• Assyrtiko - this high acidic variety is originally from the island of Santorini but now grown throughout the country.

If you do attend the tasting, make sure you say hello to Mr. Hudson Valley Wine Goddess.

I'm pouring at a Greek Wine Tasting

On Sunday, November 15  I will be pouring once again for the Ladies of Philoptohos at the 2nd Greek Wine and Food tasting event from 3:00-6:00p.m at Hellenic Center on Park Avenue in Poughkeepsie.  I poured at this event last year and they had quite a turnout.  The women of the Ladies of Philoptohos really know how to put out a spread.  Just the food alone is a reason to come!

In case you are wondering, no I am not Greek.  However, my mother-in-law is from Athens, but that is not how I got involved with this event.  My long time childhood friend Demetra asked me to pour last year and once again this year.  How can I turn her down, she played Monopoly with me when all my friends went to the Prom and I didn't have a date. After we waved her sister Kally and her date off in the Limo, her dad offered me a shot of Ouzo to drown my sorrows, (before all you people go nuts, the drinking age was 18 then.)  Even though I was down in the dumps that day Demetra made it worse by beating me at Monopoly.  Yes, Demetra, I'll never forget!  Childhood friendships are to cherish, they are the friends that will always be there for you, no matter if you talk every day or once a year.  It's once a year Demetra makes that call and I accept.

The cost is $25 and below are the wines that will be poured.  I'll have a complete report next week on the wines I tasted. 

2009 Greek Wine Tasting