Community Corner
Greek Wines Pair Well With Lamb
If you are planning to serve roast lamb for your Easter Sunday dinner you are in good company as the dish is tradition in many homes around the globe. Having settled on your main course you may still be in search of a good wine. What wines pair well with lamb?
Recently I attended an international wine tasting at Dorland Arts Colony in Temecula and we focused on wines produced on the mainland and islands of Greece. Because of varying temperatures and the difference in the acidity of the vineyards’ soil where the grapes were grown each wine had a distinctly different nose and flavor.
Three of the five wines we tasted that day would pair well with roast lamb. If you are adventurous and are looking for a new wine you may like to try one the Greek wines listed here.
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Our group ranked this wine number one: $20, Ovilos Estate Biblia Chora 2010, an all organic white wine with a light oaky flavor (Assyrtiko 50% and Semillon 50%)
In the second spot: $18, 2011 Domaine Sigalas, a citrusy wine that I suggest you serve along with steamed artichoke hearts Greek-style as a side dish or a salad with your Easter meal.
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Third: $15 Thema 2012: similar in taste to a lemony Sauvignon (50% Sav Blanc & 50% Assyrtiko)
We also tasted two reds, which I can recommend for your Easter feast if you are serving hearty fare, such as a beef roast or steaks. The Greek reds we tried were a bit too heavy to be served with a ham, which would call for a zinfandel or a Gewurztraminer, depending if the ham is prepared with spice or a sweet glaze.
2008 Urano -Sykomaitha Xinomavro (translate to acid black) was a bit green and oaky. One of the tasting team brought spiced fig cakes to pair with this wine and they worked marvelously together.
$25 2007 Grande Reserve Boutari is a light oak red wine. Tastes great with chocolate!
Today the winemakers in Greece are well-trained and the wines they are producing stand up well against international competition. So well, in fact, that the Greek wines are winning prestigious awards. - Carol Malin