Superstar Greek Winemakers Wednesday!

On Wednesday March 6th we are hosting two very talented winemakers from Greece for a tasting of their award winning wines.  They are represented by Athenee Imports, the largest importer and distributor of fine wines from Greece, and are in town for a trade tasting earlier in the day called the Athenee Imports Road Show.  After the trade event George Brown, owner of Vino Wholesale will bring them to the shop where we'll be tasting a few store favorites, the Spiropoulos Ode Panos Sparkling and the Thymiopoulos Young Vine Xinomavro, as well other wines that aren't yet available in our market.

Domaine Spiropoulos in Mantinia, Peloponnese

Yes, they are both named Apostolos!  But they make very different wines from distinct areas of Greece.  Apostolos Spriopoulos' Domaine Spiropoulos was established in 1870 and is located in Mantinia an area in the Peloponnese region. The vineyards sit on a plateau that is more than 2000 feet above sea level.  They produces both reds, whites and rose' wines from indigenous varieties Moschofilero and Agiorgitiko, the most important wine in the portfolio is the Ode Panos, a sparkling Moschofilero.  They are certified organic and one of only a handful of producers of sparkling wines in Greece.

The Culinary Institute of America has added Domaine Spiropoulos’ Ode Panos to the sommelier syllabus, helping to train upcoming sommeliers on the delights of Greek grape varieties. Furthermore, one of the world’s most recognized authorities on champagne and sparkling wine, critic and writer Tom Stevenson, included Domaine Spiropoulos’ Ode Panos Brut in his Millennium Champagne and Sparkling Wine Guide, a list created to celebrate the world’s top-rated drinks in the category. Spiropoulos is proud that his was the only Greek sparkling wine featured on the venerable list.

Thymiopoulos Winery, Photo from Athenee Imports

Apostolos Thymiopoulos at 31 years old, is considered the rising star of Naoussa. His vines are cultivated according to biodynamic farming methods at an altitude of 600 feet in the southern sector of the appellation. The vineyards are blessed with a good amount of sun and a terrain comprised of Naoussa’s most geologically complex soils, made of lime-rich marlstone, schist and granite. Thymiopoulos focuses on expressing the freshness of the grapes and giving each vintage a unique signature. His wines are unfiltered and aged in vats and or old barrels. He is known most for his reds  made from Xinomavro; the Uranos (’earth and sky’) made from forty-year-old vines, and his lighter Young Vines that has been a very popular wine with us for the last year.  Thymiopoulos is also Naoussa’s only vintner to produce a pure rosé using xinomavro grapes and has just begun to make a white from Malagouzia.

We hope you'll join us on Wednesday to taste these high quality, distinct wines from 2 of Greece's superstars! The tasting is free from 6-8pm, no reservations required!