The new wines of Greece can win over new and seasoned oenophiles with their quality, as well as distinct and unique character. However, by serving Greek wine in the proper way –which is true for all the great wines of the world– its performance lifts off and along with it the joy of the ones tasting or consuming it. Furthermore, the special climate conditions of Greece and the wealth of local varieties are factors that must be taken seriously into account so that when serving Greek wine, not a peg of the pleasure of the unique aromas and tastes bounteously offered by the multi-dimensional Greek vineyard will be lost.
The proper temperature
In order to consume the Greek wines in proper temperature, resulting in the maximum pleasure, the “rules” are not different from the ones in place for the wines of the rest of the wine growing world, depending on the type and style. In general terms, the starting point is: 6-8ο C for sparkling wines, 8-10ο C for dry and sweet white ones, 10-12ο C for rose and sweet red ones and 16-18ο C for dry red ones.
Nevertheless, special attention must be given when Greek wines are consumed in the summer conditions of Greece or other hot countries when the temperatures are quite often more than 28ο C. Then, the use of champagne cooler with ice and water is considered necessary in order to maintain the proper temperature even for red wines, or even in order to decrease it, so that the consumers will enjoy the Greek wines in proper temperature (the fridge and not the freezer is recommended).
Decanting
Decanting the high quality Greek wines into jugs helps them reveal all the dimensions of their unique character. It allows the young, robust red wines to be aired for about two hours, while at the same time it can remove any deposit –if necessary- as very often, most of the top wines are not currently filtered (the deposit is not a disadvantage). And certainly it will unfold their character even more softly. Half an hour is enough for the aged red wines, having examined if the bottle has a deposit, so that they are not decanted. The dynamic filtering applied in the 1990s can, even today, fully reveal the clarity of Greek aged wines! The especially fresh wines from Assyrtiko-Santorini will “open up” after being decanted for one hour, but the strong sweet red wines (e.g. Mavrodaphne of Patras) will thus “detensify” their alcohol content.
