Wine lovers should get their spittoons ready; because the following days will be all about celebrating the vinelands of the motherland. After last year’s successful expedition, the New Wines of Greece return to Australia for a roadshow and a series of masterclasses and tasting events. This year’s deployment will feature 20 wineries, showcasing more than 70 labels of Greek wine. “We are so excited to return to Australia and reconnect with the great friends and colleagues we met on our last trip,” says New Wines of Greece President, Yannis Voyatzis. “Australians love food, just like the Greeks, and this is the perfect opportunity for us to highlight the perfect pairing wines for rich flavours and textures that we share an appetite for. We know there is growing intrigue around our famous wines in Australia and we have plenty of new information about varieties, techniques and exciting developing regions to share with Australia’s industry representatives. “More than 300 people attended last year’s event, making the second deployment not only possible, but necessary.
Last year’s program was focused on the opinion leaders within the food, wine and hospitality industry of Australia – masters of wine, sommeliers, restaurateurs, importers, buyers, food writers and bloggers. Over 400 professionals attended last year’s masterclasses in Sydney and Melbourne, 426 infact, during which Master of Wine Yannis Karakasis and Grigoris Michailos (Award in Wine Services) introduced wine varietals such as Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko, Assyrtiko, Mandilaria, Kotsifali, in a journey throughout the winemaking regions of Greece – but also, through the country’s rich history, explaining how some of these varietals have been around since the ancient times. Among the participants were the staff of such seminal industry leaders as Sydney Hospitality Group (which operates seven restaurants), Andrew McConnel Group (also operating seven restaurants) and MADE Establishment (four restaurants) – among them, some of the country’s culinary landmarks: Lumi, Ormeggio, Riples, Supernormal, Cumulus, The Press Club, Hellenic Republic and so on.
This year’s masterclasses will be themed ‘A Wine Odyssey: Greece from North to South’ (in two parts), an introduction to the key wine regions and grape varieties; ‘The Rising Stars: Merging Greek varieties’, which will focus on their potential success in the sophisticated Australian market; and ‘For the love of Assyrtiko: from Santorini all over the world’, which will introduce the most ‘international’ of the indigenous Greek varieties (Australian winemaker Peter Barry is also set to present his own Assyrtiko, which pleasantly surprised the Greek deployment, last year).
“This year we have even more people willing to participate in the masterclasses and wine-tasting events”, says Eleni Blouchos, project manager of the ‘New Wines of Greece’ roadshow and masterclasses. Wine lovers in Sydney and Melbourne will be happy to know, that apart from the main events, a series of consumer events have been planned in a series of restaurants, (specifically at Sydney’s Aqua Dining on Tuesday 21 June and Melbourne’s Elyros, on Friday 24 June) in which the patrons will have the opportunity to taste Greek wines, paired with the creations of some of Australia’s top chefs.
“We’re also more focusing in enotourism”, she adds, stating how this expedition is much more than a public relations event. It is a venture highly associated with the survival of the wine industry in Greece, a sector that has been growing substantially during the past two decades, creating products of very high quality and struggling with the effects of the crisis, and the rising taxation. Exports are crucial for the industry’s viability, as is wine tourism, which is the best way for consumers to discover wine and get in touch with the region of their holidays, adding to the overall experience.
Among the wineries featured in the deployment are, Alexakis Wines, Artemis Karamolegos Winery, Boutari, Cavino SA, Domaine C Lazaridi, Domaine Hatzimichalis, Domaine Porto Carras, Domaine Sigalas, Domaine Skouras, Estate Argyros, Gaia Wines, Gentilini Winery & Vineyards, Karavitakis Wines, Ktima Pavlidis, Lyrarakis Wines, Mercouri Estate, Palivos Estate, Santo Wines, Semeli, Theopetra Estate, Thymiopoulos Vineyards, Troupis Winery and Tsantalis Vineyards & Wineries.
Trade tastings and masterclasses are to take place in Sydney (on Monday 20 June at the Establishment, 252, George Street from 11 am to 5 pm) and in Melbourne (on Thursday 23 June at the Westin Hotel, 205 Collins Street, from 11 am to 5 pm). For more information on New Wines of Greece, visit www.newwinesofgreece.com