Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
A blend of 40 percent malagousia with equal parts assyrtiko and asprouda serron, a local grape, this is golden in color as well as flavor. It tastes of peaches, Meyer lemon and lime zest, with hints of smoke and flowers, all of it in the light grip of grape-skin tannins. Give it some air in a decanter before pouring with roast chicken.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
As one of the few continental-climate, mountainous growing areas of Greece, Macedonia produces notable, high-quality red wines. Xinomavro is its star variety, capable of making a spicy and age-worthy red.