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The sacred wine of the land: Kitma Biblia Chora

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.

In the past week, I have dined out at four restaurants and at three of these, there was a Greek wine on the menu. More and more, we are seeing Greek wines in the U.S. And, after traveling to Greece the last two summers, I was starting to feel confident in my growing knowledge of the wines. But this week, I learned about yet another wine region in Greece called Pangeon and the winery Biblia Chora.

There are 28 wine districts in Greece, and within these districts are the 58 wine areas that have been designated with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. One of these regions is Pangeon in Northern Macedonia, approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Thessaloniki.

Established as a PGI in 1995, the vineyards of Pangeon are located on the slopes of Mount Pangeon and on Mount Symvolo at altitudes of 350 to 480 meters. A Mediterranean climate by day and a continental climate by night, the region is known for lots of wind, high altitude and cold nights. The soils of clay, loam and stone are home to many local and international varieties, including assyrtiko, roditis, malagousia, muscat of Alexandria, viognier, gewurztraminer, chardonnay, sémillon, sauvignon blanc, trebbiano, agiorgitiko, lemnio, pamidi, grenache rouge, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah.

15 February, 2017

Let the Greek wine games begin

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register. Learning about the wines of the world can be an overwhelming endeavor at times. There are so many countries that produce wine. Then there are all the regions within each country, not to mention the thousands of grape varieties.

Just when we get comfortable with the grapes and areas of Napa and Sonoma, then perhaps France, Italy or Spain, more regions are becoming prevalent in the U.S. market. Now we can find wines from Greece, Portugal, Georgia and beyond. And there is so much to learn. Greece alone has more than 300 indigenous varieties and more than two dozen wine regions. What do you know about Greek wines?

Here are some questions:

26 January, 2017

Inotheke – Introducing Modern Greek Food to Los Angeles

I have always been a fan of Greek food, or at least what I thought was Greek food. Spanikopita, Greek salad and gryos were what I was familiar with until I travelled to Greece for the first time this past summer. In Greece, I was introduced to "real" Greek food - vegetable-driven, fresh seafood and local cheeses...lots of cheese, fried with honey. The "real" Greek food is light and healthy and full of flavor. Sadly we do not get a lot of "real" Greek food in America. There are only a few restaurants in Northern Calfornia (Dio Deka) and New York (Estiatorio Milos and others) showcasing the beautiful flavors of Greek food but at a higher price point. Now Los Angeles has a "real" Greek restaurant, offering the fresh flavors with affordable prices. Welcome to LA, Inotheke! Inotheke, which means "wine case" in Greek, is located on Broadway and 6th in Santa Monica. Owner Carolos Tomazos is recognized by many in Los Angeles as the front-of-house personality at the popular former Waterloo & City. With Inotheke, Tomazos, who grew up on the island of Cyprus, is bringing a fresh modern perspective to Greek food.

13 January, 2016