Macedonia

Incomprehensibility no longer implies ‘Greek’. A bevy of Greek wines from Vaeni Naoussa that have just arrived on Indian retail shelves reassert this point. A few years back who would have thought that difficult sounding wines like from Greece could be candidates for the yet nascent Indian wine market? But those thoughts are a thing of the past now.

At a recent preview tasting of wines from Greece, I was happy to know that if so wanted, I could easily buy the wines being tasted on my way back home. Contrast this with an earlier tasting of wines from the same producer where it was anybody’s guess as to when the ‘esoteric’ wines would finally arrive in India.

Delhi based InAct Consultancy has realized that aspiration by bringing in four wines from Vaeni Naoussa –a cooperative from Naoussa in Macedonia which is most famous for its wines from the Xinomavro varietal.

From the land of Xinomavro

Though Xinomavro as a varietal can be found in other regions of Greece as well, it is in the Naoussa commune that the grape’s maturity is known to reach optimum levels (see my earlier post for a background). The grapes here achieve an excellent aromatic potential with a good balance of acid, sugar, and tannins.

Dry wine, from the Naoussa Appellation is exclusively made from the red grape Xinomavro with the Geographically Indicated (GI) ones noted for their dark red colour, characteristic fruity aromas and a rich bouquet. The GI marked wines see a minimum one year of ageing in oak barrels, obligated through legislation.

The Naoussa region produces not only red but white wine as well aka Blanc de Noirs, using the Xinomavro varietal. In addition to wines from Xinomavro, Vaeni Naoussa also produces wines from another indigenous white varietal called Rhoditis and the international varietals Syrah and Merlot.

Vaeni Naoussa Wines at the Tasting

Xrysanthi Retsina (NV Table wine)
Grapes: Rhoditis and other varieties, ABV: 11%
MRP: ₹ 1600

In the ancient days when wooden barrels were not in vogue, Greeks and Romans lined their amphorae with a pine resin to preserve wine for longer. Current day Retsina wines are produced more for preserving cultural heritage than preservation. To that effect, resin chunks are added to the grape “must” (crushed grapes with skins, seeds etc) during fermentation. This results in a certain pungency, the degree of which depends on the quantity of resin and duration of its contact with the must.

Xrysanthi Retsina is a fairly neutral wine with subtle aromas of flowers and cooked fruit. On the palate, the wine expresses nice acidity and flavours of tree fruits. The resin effect, though not very obvious, manifests on the palate with a hint of minerality.

Makedonikos White 2017 (Protected Geographical Indication Macedonia)
Grape: Xinomavro, ABV: 11.5%
MRP: ₹ 2500

This is a white wine produced from Xinomavro grape.The deep lemon coloured wine had earthy and ripe tree fruit (peaches, pears, apples) aromas. The palate of this wine showed an off-dry character which compelled me to check out its technical sheet which indicated it as “white semi-dry” with a residual sugar as 9 g/l.

In my opinion, the elegant palate of Makedonikos White is well suited to the hot and humid Indian summer. The crispy prawn tempura that we tried with the Retsina earlier worked even better with this wine, so did the Chicken Kiragi served alongside this one.

Makedonikos Red 2016 (Protected Geographical Indication Macedonia)
Grapes: Xinomavro & Syrah, ABV 12.5%
MRP: ₹ 2800

Tasting a red wine after a white from the same grape varietal was quite a revelation with an additional aspect of tannins coming in. The producer classifies this wine too as “semi-dry” with a residual sugar of 9 g/l. The nose of Makedonikos red is intensely fruity showing an abundance of red cherries, reaffirming on the palate as well. The light-medium bodied wine is elegant and uncomplicated, making it a good aperitif or an entrée course wine. We tried it with generous rounds of Sushi and Sashimi, which worked pretty well with this light red wine.

Naoussa 2016 (Protected Designation of Origin Naoussa)
Grape: Xinomavro, ABV: 12.5%
MRP: ₹ 2500

As expected, this wine upped the ante of robustness at the tasting. The body became fuller and the tannins steelier with this DO Naoussa wine. Naoussa 2016 made a silent statement of 12 months barrel and 6 months bottle ageing through a gradually fading rim, followed by aromas of dark red berries, plum, and vanilla. The wine had rounded and seamlessly integrated tannins which went grippy towards the finish. I found it to be a worthy “main course” wine.

Grande Reserve 2013 (Protected Designation of Origin Naoussa)
Grape: Xinomavro, ABV: 13%
MRP: ₹ 3700

Age has a lot to do with maturity and the term “grande” is invariably associated with a greater time period to achieve certain credentials. Grande Reserve 2013, with its cumulative maturation of 48 months in barrel and bottle didn’t fail us on that front. Its complex nose and dense palate of berry compote coupled with spice, betrayed its character as a gourmet wine. The wine’s mature tannins give it a powerful feel, which persists with a lengthy finish.

Inspiring Food at Kofuku

Kofuku- a popular Japanese-Korean restaurant in the heart of New Delhi where we tasted these wines, came across as an inspiring place. The pairing of Japanese cuisine with Vaeni wines- especially the reds- was surely a revelation.  The mild and crispy shrimp tempura was great with the whites while an assortment of sushi and sashimi played up the reds.

An Upbeat Sentiment

Malay Kumar, a seasoned wine marketer in India and Brand Ambassador Vaeni Naoussa is enthusiastic about the saleability of these wines in the country. At the same time,he is very well aware of the challenges involved. Malay considers Vaeni wines being as good as any other Old World wine. He foresees the Xinomavro varietal as dynamic enough to find favour with wine enthusiasts.

But being realistic, he acknowledges that Indians are not very habituated to trying premium wines from countries other than the big four or five, therefore he wants to go a step at a time. The first step for him is to go for the quality jugular.

We have just started in India and I am happy to inform that we have managed to make an impression by roping in influencers in reaching potential end consumer base. Idea is to go slow and be known for the quality rather than for an easy price point

– Malay Kumar, Brand Ambassador AAOS Vaeni Naoussa

Malay’s strategy appears to be bearing fruit with Vaeni wines already started selling in the states of Delhi and UP with Assam and Maharastra to follow.

The economic crisis in Greece seems to have blown over and I sincerely hope that the country will have plenty of right reasons to be in news in the coming times. What makes me so optimistic is due to -what else- but Greek wines that bring a lot of promise to wine passionates.  I recently experienced some delicious Greek wines in New Delhi that made me wonder why I was not tasting them often. The tasting was held at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi, with the Ambassador H.E. Ioannis E Raptakis playing  keen host.

The wines were from Vaeni – a cooperative from Naoussa region in Macedonia famed for some great red wines made from the indigenous Xinomavro (In Greek, Xino means acid and Mavro means black – implying high acidity and high tannin grapes) varietal.  Greek wines are known to be localized to specific regions where all the country’s 15 major grape varietals  are not to be found outside their respective regions. For Naoussa, the crowning glory is  the Xinomavro grape varietal and it was only befitting that Fountoulis George, President of Vaeni Cooperative arrived himself  to conduct the tasting with all passion.

Greek wines – a historical perspective

History has it that Greece is one of the pioneers of winemaking with evidence of vineyards dating back to 2000 B.C. It was the Greeks, who transported wines to most of Europe through the Mediterranean. The country went into oblivion for a very significant period before the modern wine industry took shape post the world wars. The industry firmed up as Greece joined the Eurozone – and this brought investments and modern technology to its shores.

Viticultural regions are found all over Greece – the major winemaking regions in Greece are Northern, Central, Peloponnese and certain islands off its coast. Greece retains several indigenous grape varietals – the major red varietals are Aghiorghitiko, Limnio, Mandelaria and Xinomavro and the whites are Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Savatiano and Robola – and they produce remarkably unique wines.

The Vaeni Cooperative

Vaeni Cooperative was formed in 1983 when 330 vine growers of Naoussa came together with an aim to make better use of their crop and act as a counterbalance for private companies. Mr George informed me that  their production philosophy is about keeping pace with the times by adapting new technology while still maintaining the considerations of their heritage. The cooperative today exports 30 per cent of its sales to 27 countries and Mr. George is quite optimistic about India becoming the 28th! They are also socially sensitive by providing direct employment to more than 250 families and indirectly to many more.

The tasting

The wines being from Naoussa, all of them, whether white or red,  were from 100% Xinomavro varietal.  One could relate to these wines by drawing parallels with international varietals but their USP lay in their distinct character. One could actually feel that these were high quality wines from a different genre that packed the necessary punch for an altogether different wine experience.

Makedonikos 2014 (white) Alc 11.5%

This wine is made from  free run/first press juice and in fermented in stainless steel tanks- hence it was very fresh and aromatic. The nose was reminiscent  of  white flowers, ripe peaches and pears while the palate was refreshing and delicious. With a residual sugar of 9 g/l the wine’s off-dry disposition was matched well with ample acidity. The wine was a big hit during the tasting.

Naoussa 2010 (Red) Alc 12.5%

A light ruby wine with fresh red fruits nose, most prominently red cherries. Light-medium bodied on the palate with an emphatic yet gentle structure, which came as a pleasant surprise going by the visibly low colour extraction. A wine that is good with savoury food.

Damaskinos 2011 (Red) Alc 13%

Damaskinos means aromas of prunes, that according to the winemaker, gives this wine an unmistakable character. Sure enough, the medium ruby wine had cooked and dry fruit aromas along with a hint of mixed sweet spices such as vanilla and cinnamon. This was supplemented by a luscious palate of red apples, poached pears backed up by a smooth lingering finish.

Naoussa Grande Reserve 2008 (Red) Alc 13%

According to George, just the aromas of this wine could make you discern it’s rich character. Aged for two years in French oak barrels and rested in the bottle for at least two years before release, the wine had an expressive nose of black fruits, vanilla and a little spice. It had a palate coating consistency with pleasant tannins and lots of mixed berries on the palate.

My host, H.E. Ioannis E Raptakis, the Ambassador of Greece in India, informed me that after consistently promoting Greek olive oil and Feta cheese in India, the next step is to create an awareness of Greek wines in the country. The Ambassador  expressed lots of optimism about the prospect of Greek wines in India saying that India is one of their focus countries.

For the love of wine, this focus is more than welcome Mr. Ambassador!