Wining with Wines of Naoussa at Faith and Flower...

Back in June, the Goddess of Wine and JD were invited to attend an intimate tasting of the Wines of Naoussa at the lovely Faith and Flower restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. From the invitation: Wines of Naoussa presents 13 wineries pouring their Xinomavro wines. Xinomavro is the main and noblest indigenous red grape varietal of northern Greece. Its name reveals its basic features: high in acidity (Xino - sour), and deep almost black in color (mavro - black) with powerful tannins. This combination of high acidity and phenolic richness results in wines with the possibility of aging for many years. Wines made from Xinomavro have a complex and unique aromatic character, composed of fruity and vegetal aromas of tomato and olive.

Domaine Porto Carras will present their portfolio of ancient and indigenous varietals including Malagouzia, Assyrtiko, and Limnio as well as their varietal blends including Melesanthi, Magnus Baccata, and Chateau Porto Carras.

Wineaux of the Goddess - Greek Edition

This year being the exploration of world wine regions, the monthly meeting of the Wineaux of the Goddess happily discovered that thousands of years of grape cultivation and winemaking experience create delicious, food-friendly, low-cost - and low-alcohol - wines. Because these grapes were all new to us, we did not taste them blind. We started with the white wines in order of vintage, and followed suit with the reds.

The origins of wine-making in Greece go back over 6,500 years, and evidence suggesting wine production confirms that Greece is home to the second oldest known grape wine remnants discovered in the world, and the world’s earliest evidence of crushed grapes. The spread of Greek civilization and their worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, spread Dionysian cults throughout the Mediterranean areas during the period of 1600 BC to the year 1. Hippocrates used wine for medicinal purposes and readily prescribed it. Greek wines and their varieties were well known and traded throughout the Mediterranean. The Ancient Greeks introduced vines such as Vitis vinifera and made wine in their numerous colonies in Italy, Sicily, southern France, and Spain. The Vitis vinifera grape which thrives in temperate climates near coastal areas with mild winters and dry summers adapted well and flourished in the Northern Mediterranean areas.