Vines Unknown: Exploring Nemea

Description

Vines Unknown: Exploring Nemea, Greece
Thursday, November 5th at 7pm
Hosted by John Livanos of Diamond Wine Imports

Join us as we explore one of the most important regions of Greece’s wine culture, Nemea. Rooted in the heart of Peloponessos, we like to consider Nemea, as the ‘Napa’ of Greece. With its long history, dating back to ancient times, it is home to one of the oldest grapes in cultivation, Agiorgitiko (also known as St. George).

Nemea is the ancient Greeks’ “flyasios oenos”, a wine linked with the myth of Hercules whose cult was prevalent in the area. Nemea is also where Hercules’ sanctuary is to be found and it is no coincidence that lore refers to the wine of Nemea as “Hercules’ blood”. In earlier times Nemea’s name was Agios Georgios, which is possibly why the variety is known as Agiorgitiko and the area is its main place of cultivation. Both terrain and climate conditions are highly diverse along the land the zone covers. Informally, the zone tends to be divided into three sub-zones which were determined on the basis of the different altitudes and on which the grapes’ maturation process and sum total of characteristics lead to different styles (or types) of wine. Indeed, the Agiorgitiko variety has become the most multi-purpose native red grape variety. Many are the vinification “schools” in Nemea, all offering from fresh red wines to wines of long aging. Especially in the case of the latter, the combination of Nemea-Agiorgitiko constitutes one of the most significant wine presences of the Greek vineyards and their new wines with regard to the dry red type. Another trend that has emerged lately is that of the production of sweet (dessert wines) which fall under the PDO Nemea category. Apart from local winegrowers, there has been considerable outside investment in the area.

We will be exploring wines from Domaine Skouras, one of the most prestigious wineries in the region. One of the pioneers in the production of Agiorgitiko, winemaker George Skouras has lifted the bar for the quality of wines from this region. Johnny Livanos will lead the discussion and enlighten us on the wines from Domaine Skouras along with fun and interesting information about Nemea.

We will be tasting the following wines:

Domaine Skouras ‘Salto’ Moschofilero - $19.99/bottle (category: white, location: Peloponessos)

Brilliantly, light yellow in color with greenish tints. Strong and lively nose with hints of rose petal, other floral aromas, sweet spices, melon, lychee nut with a note of honeysuckle. A richly textured wine with superb length and balance. A classy wine with long finish and persistent aromas.

Domaine Skouras St. George - $17.99/bottle (category: red, location: Peloponessos)

The color is bright, deep morello cherry-red. The nose reveals aromas of blackberries, raspberries and ripe strawberries with just a touch of aniseed and spices such as clove and cinnamon. It is a medium-bodied wine with elegant structure, balanced acidity and very ripe, elegant tannins. The finish is moderately-long, dominated by red fruits and followed by sweet vanilla and black pepper.

Interested in trying these wines? Click below:

Questions or comments:
[email protected]
617-800-WINE (9463)