Royal's Director of PR and Manager of Wine Education Gabriel Geller says that this year "brings an abundance of exciting releases to complement every course" of holiday meals.
Royal Wine has added kosher Greek wines to its portfolio, following the recent release of a white wine called Yamas Xynisteri ($18.99) from Cyprus. Todros offers three expressions made from Muscat grapes grown on the island of Samos: a dry Samena ($24.99), the off-dry High Peaks ($24.99), and Vin Doux ($34.99), a sweet dessert wine.
The name Todros is derived from the Greek word for "gift of God." The dry Samena is made from grapes grown on the island of Samos, actually much closer to Turkey than to Greece. The fruit came from the Samian vineyard. The $25 bottle carries alcohol at a restrained 13% abv. It is mevushal and kosher for Passover.
This wine shows a faint golden tint in the glass. The nose is floral and fruity, with perfumed scents of white flowers, pears, peaches and tropical fruit bursting upward. Those smells made me expect a boatload of fruit on the palate, but there is a surprise. This wine is very dry, and very savory. There is a strong salinity running through it and an earthy minerality which is joined by a racy acidity. I’d pair this with salads for sure, but chicken works, too.
Many are not aware of the wines of Greece. I am a big fan of Greek wines because the grapes are different than what you may find in California or New Zealand wines or even to say, French wines. They have a more fuller taste I would say especially by the red wines. With the trend of organic wines, you can find an array of red and white locally grown wines to try. The area around Veria has some really full wines to try, many come from young wineries.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Melissa, Greek wines are not very popular or widely available in the U.S. I love the Greek wines I have tasted, especially the whites. Thanks for your comment. Cheers!
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