Winemaker Notes
The Boutari family has been crafting wines from Greek varietals since 1879, when Yiannis Boutari first started producing red wines in the small northern village of Naoussa. Since that first vintage the family has become a pioneer of Greek wines. From exporting the first bottled red wine from Greece to reviving lost varietals, Boutari now crafts wines from six different regions using varietals that are grown nowhere else in the world. In a constant quest for improvement Boutari maintains "demonstration" vineyards around Greece where local farmers are invited to learn new methods and techniques for improving their grapes. The results have been astounding: Boutari has been named an International Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits 19 times – only 5 wineries in the world have received the award more times. Achievements such as developing the modern style of Santorini to reviving lost varietals have garnered lavish praise from the wine press and spawned a generation of high-quality Greek wines made by vintners who cut their teeth under the tutelage of the Boutari family.
A large southern region of Greece, the Peloponnese contains the famous appellations of Nemea and Mantineia. While connected to the mainland by a tiny strip of land, essentially the region is a large Mediterranean island and excels in the production of red wine from Agiorghitiko, white from Moscofilero and sweet wine from the Mavrodaphne grape.
A pink-skinned variety from the Peloponnese, Greek Moschofilero produces a delicatly perfumed, fresh white wine. There on the Mantineia plateau, the cool growing conditions allow ample time for the grapes to develop balanced sugars and aromatics. Moschofilero is actually the most popular of many mutations of the ancient Fileri grape. These range in color from white to red and produce an array of styles including fruity pink and sparkling versions. Somm Secret—If you already love Muscat, definitely try Moschofilero. Though the grapes are unrelated, they produce remarkably similar wines.