Winemaker Notes
Ktima (Domaine) Zafeirakis LOGOS Chardonnay (PGI Tyrnavos) is a modern, organic take on the variety—more about precision and mineral line than overt oak. The wine is raised in tank with indigenous yeasts for around six months, gaining texture without losing its snap. In the glass it shows a clean, medium-lemon color and a focused aromatic profile of green apple and grapefruit, lifted by white flowers, a clear mineral thread and subtle yeasty/dough nuances.
On the palate, the signature is piercing acidity and lemony fruit, balanced by a gently creamy mid-palate and a refreshing, medium length finish that keeps calling for food.
Food pairing: grilled sea bream with lado-rigani, fried calamari, chicken with lemon, or a simple risotto with herbs, oysters or moules marinières (its acidity and mineral edge shine), and sushi/sashimi—especially scallop or sea bass—for a clean, saline match.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A picturesque Mediterranean nation with a rich wine culture dating back to ancient times, Greece has so much more to offer than just retsina. Between the mainland and the country’s many islands, a wealth of Greek wine styles exists, made mostly from Greece’s plentiful indigenous varieties. After centuries of adversity after Ottoman rule, the modern Greek wine industry took off in the late 20th century with an influx of newly trained winemakers and investments in winemaking technology.
The climate—generally hot Mediterranean—can vary a bit with latitude and elevation, and is mostly moderated by cool maritime breezes. Drought can be an issue for Greek wine during the long, dry summers, sometimes necessitating irrigation.
Over 300 indigenous grapes have been identified throughout Greece, and though not all of them are suitable for wine production, future decades will likely see a significant revival and refinement of many of these native Greek wine varieties. Assyrtiko, the crisp, saline Greek wine variety of the island of Santorini, is one of the most important and popular white wine varieties, alongside Roditis, Robola, Moschofilero, and Malagousia. Muscat is also widely grown for both sweet and dry wines. Prominent red wine varieties include full-bodied and fruity Agiorghitiko, native to Nemea; Macedonia’s savory, tannic Xinomavro; and Mavrodaphne, used commonly to produce a Port-like fortified wine in the Peloponnese.