Did you ever drink a glass of bad retsina and swear never to taste Greek wine again? Well, that was a big mistake! Greece produces quite outstanding wines, and some of them are even unique in the world...

Viticulture in Greece is one of the oldest in the world and it's the country where you'll find the greatest variety of grapes, some 300 of them. In some islands, vineyards grow in sandy soil and have not been attacked by the phylloxera, so there are ungrafted 50-year-old vines, and even older!

There are also wines that are true "collectors", as the Mavrotragano, made with a red grape growing only on Santorini and some other islands, so rare that only a few thousand bottles are produced each year!

A stay in Greece is a fantastic opportunity to discover varietals unknown in the rest of the world, but also to taste "international" varietals in their Hellenic expression: sipping Greek sun-drenched Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir is a great journey into the infinite universe of world wines!

Don't hesitate to try the house wine, sold by the kilo and not per liter, you'll often be nicely surprised. Not every time, of course (as there is like everywhere bad cheap wine), but the sense of hospitality is not a Greek legend and, in restaurants, don't be afraid to ask the waiter for a little glass of wine to taste before ordering, so as to find out if it's to your liking!

Here is a little overview of some grape varieties you have to discover... A number of wines made with indigenous grapes are exported and you're likely to find some outside of Greece, but only a stay in the country may allow you to taste the rarest ones!