Hear no evil, Speak no evil, Ksee-no-Mavro?

Friends with Benefits

My friend Stephen, who I had only met in the cyber world of social media dropped me a line one day asking me if I would like to drive to the city, (San Francisco) and meet a few winemakers from Greece. Okay, more accurately, the conversation went like this:

Stephen: "Hey you busy this week?"
Me: Uh, why?
Stephen: "Check your email!"

Considering that we had never met in the physical world, .and I had no memory of how he got my email address, until I remembered how we ACTUALLY met...which is another story worthy of a blog post,  I hurriedly opened the email which contained a VIP entry into the world of Greek wine. Having never experienced any wine from this archipelago in the Aegean Sea, and with little knowledge that the birthplace of wine, (Think Dionysus) would actually grow grapes and produce wine, I eagerly accepted the invite.

The Experience

In attendance

The Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco is not easily accessible. Tucked in an alley between several buildings, I nearly spent as much time trying to find the location as it took me to drive from Sacramento. *Note: when calling to get directions, ensure that the person you speak to has either lived in San Francisco...within five miles of the hotel that is, and manages to get to work without getting lost, or can hand the phone to someone who is capable of at least indicating which alley not to drive through, lest you become ensnared by a hapless, evil,  delivery driver blocking you in for an eternity. Not one to get discouraged, after all, there was wine to be sampled, I persevered and eventually was able to drop off the keys to my car with a very cheerful valet and search the labyrinth of endless hallways in this five star, non air conditioned, travel destination.

On more than one occasion as I searched for the room where my palate would be tantalized, I would bump into a ever so quiet speaking concierge who, barely audible, would direct me to another equally silent speaking concierge. Perhaps due to the weather, a sweltering 98 degrees, which by San Francisco standards is akin to a day in Hell, the staff may have been speaking in this way to avoid generating more heat.
After what seemed like an eternity, (about three minutes) I located Stephen...at least someone who looked like his Facebook profile, and the party was on! (Another hour...they were running a little late.)

Pavlidis Michael

The Grape
Xinomavro - (Acid-black) is the predominant native red grape varietal of Macedonia, Greece. Known for their aging potential and high tannins, this wine grape is a true must stalk varietal. The berries are tight clustered, dark and rich. Almost similar in appearance to Zinfandel grapes, but nothing like them in character. The initial sip tasted like a viciously tart Pinot Noir; light, but explosive. A second sip, stained my teeth purple. I could have sworn that I was drinking an angry Syrah. The texture was almost leathery with a hint of smoke. I had to step back a few times and scream,"What the heck is this?" After settling in and calming down no less, I concluded that...I needed to sample a different bottle.

Bad idea!

The next bottle provided another round of complexity that eventually lead to the need for food as these wines have a "Smack you upside the head" quality. Plowing through a plate of cheese, I eyeballed a female winemaker who surely had a wine with a bit less punch; maybe a little softness? I mean after all, when introduced, she was soft spoken, demure, polite, and well, seemed almost shy.
Nope! Her wines were in my opinion, capable of putting hair on your chest! Regaining my composure and wiping the sweat from my brow...the room was now full, and it was REALLY hot.  I ambled over to an open window, contemplated hurling myself through it, but instead, caught a lung full of San Fran's finest polluted air. The breeze felt good no less, and the wine was beginning to do what wine presented to a less than full stomach does. (Think acid reflux!) Stephen came over and we began a not yet finished conversation about my thesis and how this experience may contribute to my study. As we conversed, I couldn't help but say that the experience thus far was enlightening and that the wines of Naoussa were some of the best I had tasted in a long time. (They are still leading the pack...just sayin'.)

There is a ton of info on this elusive varietal on the barely visible link below: (Be patient...takes a minute to load)
http://www.xinomavronaoussa.com

Removing the bias,  let's stick to the story of how much this wine was enjoyed by all in attendance at this San Francisco soiree.

To describe these wines, we'll use words like dense, perhaps. Or,  tannic? Yep! Mysterious? Most definitely!  The winemakers didn't leave us wondering as they brought a huge selection to sample from.  No two were alike. Being a bonafide Rhone Ranger who loves nothing more than deep, dark, eclectic wine grapes, Xinomavro did not disappoint. (Nor did the wine that Pavlidis Michael introduced. Yum!)

The crowd in attendance was diverse, which to my delight was unexpected and yielded some much needed additional data for my thesis project. With this, I was able to gather a mixture of humorous and critical  information  about the wine from several people that I spoke with. (Those who could after an hour of sampling, still form complete sentences...just sayin'.) Some remarked that Xinomavro reminded them of Pinot Noir due to its' tart characteristic. (Mouth puckering is an understatement) Others, who like me, could not find a definite characteristic, said that the wine was remarkably well structured and complex. (We were the one's still standing after an hour.) No one...at least within my earshot, had anything negative to say. (Nor would I care if they did.)

Small selection of wines from Greece

With flavors, that, ran anywhere from tart pomegranate to bold cherry and everything in between, each wine had a lingering finish that almost tasted of a hint of olives or some other is it a fruit or vegetable type food. It was very difficult to discern what this "extra" taste was as it could not be aligned with the familiar pepper, earthy or vegetal finish of domestic American wine. This was wine that required serious contemplation, reflection and conversation.

Did I forget to mention food?

First round of munchies!

 To accompany the wine that was served, a selection of cheese, olives and meats were made available. Being one of the a few people who do not enjoy wine with food, (Okay, I confess, Petite Syrah paired with peanut butter is a fetish of mine), the wines paired nicely with each offering and did not overshadow, or complicate the palate. Taking Stephen's advice to eat before sampling...lest there be no food left, I would have to say that the plethora of cheese samples were my favorite. I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of textures against my palate and found that each wine remained solid combined with the food. Although I do not care for olives, or pickles, the wine paired well with whatever type of olive was served.(They didn't look or taste like the salty, red booger filled jar variety, so I ate a few. Yum!) There must have been several carnivores in attendance as the Prosciutto didn't last long enough for me to venture into the world of swine and wine. Instead, I stuck with the Brie.

One of my favorites!

Wine and more wine!

Moving from one winemaker to the next, (the language barrier was eliminated by a common love for grape juice), was a study in art and sign language.  Each had their own style and creative influence that made their wine that much more enjoyable. I wish that there were more translators in attendance who could convey what this American sistah girl had to say about the wine, and who could divulge more pertinent details about their philosophies. Instead, a vigorous nodding of the head and the universal thumbs-up sign were enough to communicate how much I was enjoying  myself. The winemaker's in turn, had mastered saying, "Thank you!"
The most difficult thing for me was selecting and remembering which wine was which. (I did recognize a few Greek letters, but the way they were slung together, looked more like sorority/fraternity call letters than names of wine.) Every piece of literature that I was given was written in Greek. Only a few had contact information written in English. Thankfully, I have been able to keep abreast with what's happening with this group of winemakers by way of Facebook. This in itself has been a blessing, as it allows me to share the passion for this wine with other wine consumers.

A solo act for sure!

To say that there was a definite favorite among those in attendance would be unfair. However, I did happen to procure a bottle of a unique blend from a Mr. Pavlidis Michael. No, it's not the photo to the right and slightly above with the wine glass, but if you look at the beginning of this writing, and check out the photo with the selection of wines, it is the one with the big orange graphic. Yes, this was the wine of all wines...a Greek Bordeaux! The politics of how this wine was created, I will leave to the winemaker. However, I do enjoy a rebel spirit, and this wine provided just that. Think of the Bordeaux varietals that are dominate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Now, no cheating, substitute one of these aforementioned wine grapes, and replace it with Xinomavro. Boom! Can you say, Orgasmic? Now you know why this one came home with me.

Whats Next?

They're doing well!

Obviously, the wine is making some noise here in the U.S. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find...at least not where I live. One small specialty store, (Corti Brothers, Folsom Blvd.) carries a few (2) bottles, and being a cheerleader for this wine is causing them to consider stocking more. (Thought about gathering a few folks and picketing outside until they comply) I was impressed that the wine steward knew about this grape, but also sad that few if any ask for it by name. (He dusted off a bottle just for me!)
The price point for Xinomavro runs $20-60 per bottle. Rumor has it that because each winery only produces a small amount of wine...less than six thousand cases annually, it will be difficult if not impossible to find in all locations. Bummer!

After sampling nearly all (just kidding) of the selection of wines that were offered, I must add that because Xinomavro was the guest of honor and there were a few white wines available...mainly Sauvignon Blanc, each bottle of Xinomavro remained excitingly different. Seriously, there were no two alike which is a testimony of the artistic ability the winemakers. 

Winemaker Georgia Foundi

The Future of My Wine Cellar

It's a tough existence...traveling, taking photos and learning about all things libation. However, as mentioned before,  I am becoming a little bored with domestic wine, and relish an opportunity to try something different. The wines of Naoussa are definitely something to add to the eclectic wine consumers' cellar. (Not for the faint of heart...seriously) I look forward to adding more of these rare gems to my collection. (700 bottles and counting...yep, I need a few more!)

I highly recommend  the wines of Naoussa, and give them five slaps upside the head...and that's a VERY good thing, for uniqueness, quality and age ability. Please take the time to explore and savor these wonderful wines...if you can find them.

Don't hate...somebody has to do this gig!

Until next time,

Salute!