Greek Aegean Islands Named One Of The 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations

Sunset and Assyrtiko in Santorini. Photo: chasingthevine.com

The Aegean Islands in Greece have been selected as one of the “10 Best Wine Travel Destinations for 2014” by Wine Enthusiast magazine in their January issue.

Each year, the magazine narrows from the hundreds of global wine regions they visit to just 10 for this annual “best of” list.

Greece is mentioned first on the top 10 list.

Referring to the Aegean Islands, Wine Enthusiast editors Mike DeSimone & Jeff Jenssen note: “With whitewashed villages that cling to steep hillsides, which drop precipitously toward the deep blue sea, few people think of the Aegean Islands as a wine destination. But if you look carefully, you will see that the island of Santorini is essentially one large farm, Samos has terraced vineyards on Mount Ambelos, and Crete is home to a variety of white and red grapes. All three islands have excellent choices for lodging and fine dining, and the network of ferries and short-hop flights make visiting one or more of these convenient and simple.”

The Wine Enthusiast magazine also provides information on what the Greek islands of the Aegean have to offer: “Visitors to Santorini quickly learn that Assyrtiko is the most important variety on the island. Crisp, clean and delightfully acidic, it’s the perfect wine to pair with grilled octopus-and-tomato keftedes (meatballs)—sheer perfection in every mouthful. Other varieties include Aidani, a lightly floral white wine, and Voudomato and Mavrotragano, earthy, medium-bodied reds that go beautifully with local cuisine. Samos is known for delicious sweet wine made from Muscat grapes, and Crete offers a variety of wines, including zesty Vilana and apricot-scented Vidiano. Mantilari is considered one of the best Cretan reds—it’s aromatic and pairs perfectly with lamb.”

Included among the selected wine regions are Valle de Guadalupe/Baja California (Mexico), Texas Hill Country (USA), Mendoza (Argentina), Sonoma (USA) Baden (Germany), Barossa Valley (Australia), Walla Walla (USA), Languedoc (France) and Umbria (Italy).