There are wine tastings, and then there are evenings that feel like a continuation of history.
The invitation from the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto and the always knowledgeable host and sommelier, Angela Aiello, promised an exclusive tasting of Greek wines. And that promise was delivered.
What unfolded from this night was something far more unexpected: a layered immersion into Greek wine as culture, diplomacy, and lived experience from people around the table who know wines and who know Greece.
Held in collaboration with MEZES on the Danforth, the evening balanced ceremony with generous pours and a pouring of knowledge spilling from decades of quality, handcrafted winemaking.
This was not a trade show or wine expo. This was an exciting look into the world of Greek wines. It was also the most Greek way of experiencing and connecting with the Danforth in Toronto that night.
It was a conversation, conducted about and through stemmed glassware.
The Reception: Setting the Tone
The evening opened socially, glasses of Sparkling Rosè in hand, with a selection of Reception Wines that immediately signalled that this was going to be a different kind of wine tasting. Among them, the 2023 Kir Yianni Sparkling Xinomavro Rosé did exactly what great sparkling wine should do: wake and warm the room up.
Xinomavro, already a complex and traditional wine varietal, took on the next glass as wine enthusiasts, sommeliers, tastemakers finished entering the room. A very well structured wine from the northern parts of Greece. While the Sparkling Xinomavro Rosé woke up the room, this helped everyone take off their coats and settle in.
The reception wines that followed offered a cross-section of Greece’s stylistic breadth. from Assyrtiko rooted with minerality, to Agiorgitiko expressing a nice warm welcome, to reds that quietly asserted structure without the excess bloat or weight to them. These were wines designed not to impress loudly through the glass and surprise those who are tasting it for the first time.
Conversation flowed easily. Friends started catching up. Comparing notes, interests and wine expressions. The chosen wines were doing what they have been doing for decades already in Greece: facilitating exchange.
A Brief About The Wine Regions in Greece
Before the sit-down tasting began, representatives from the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto grounded the room in context and passionate delivery. Greek wine is not merely an export, it is an ambassador of Greece.
With 33 PDOs, 114 PGIs, and hundreds of indigenous grape varieties, the wines of Greece represents a living archive of geography, hand driven techniques and authenticity.
This framing is important. Especially, through fresh eyes of the people around the table trying Greek wine for the first time. Greek wine does not exist to chase volume, they exist to carry on a tradition.
Related: Intro To Greek Wines: A Piece of Civilization In Each Glass
Hosted By Sommelier Angela Aiello
This event and immersive experience was put on and hosted by the lovely and talented, sommelier and winemaker, Angela Aiello. Aiello’s observations, storied experience and insight drove exchanges, conversations, and introductions to a new idea about Greek wines at the table.
Aiello generated the dialogue and connections between how we enjoy wines now and why we should consider adding more Greek wines to our wine cellars and dedicated fridges.
Aiello collaborated with the Consulate General of Greece and fellow Sommelier, Drew Innes to tell the illustrious tale of wines from Greece that shaped the theme of the night.
Sommelier Drew Innes and the Case for Greek Wine
Kicking things off was Drew Innes, Head Sommelier at MEZES on the Danforth, who was approachable, entertaining and knowledgeable. Rather than overwhelming the table with technicalities and detailed winemaking processes, he guided us through more of a story-driven methodology. Learning more about Greek wine mythology, if you will. Discovering how Greek wines diverge from more familiar Old World benchmarks, and why that and it’s authentic nature, is their greatest strength.
He spoke to the sheer scale of Greek wine culture. For example, at MEZES on the Danforth, he has over 200 different bottles representing Greek Wines. A physical proof of depth. Which would provide such a unique wining and dining experience for those used to other wine regions.
The Tutored Tasting: Eight Wines, One Overarching Narrative
The sit-down portion unfolded across eight wines, poured over two rounds, four pours at a time, each tasted in sequence according to the tutored list.
The pacing allowed the wines to be considered in relation to one another rather than in isolation but not letting things get to ahead of themselves by offering too much at once.
What became increasingly clear was how surprisingly distinct each of the wines were. Nothing felt manufactured. Nothing felt exaggerated. It really felt like none of these wines had any artificial aspects or fillers.
Quality wines, poured right in front of us.
Round Table Discussion, Nothing Staged
Perhaps the most telling detail of the evening was its tone. This was not a performance. No one was trying to sell you on a wine like a car salesperson. You were sold on your own experience enjoying it, to the point where I am looking for Greek wines at the LCBO when I stop by for a pickup.
The confidence was quiet, earned. It was passionate, encouraging, and didn’t put any other wine regions down in the process saying something was better or not. They do this, we do this and we do it this way.
By the final pour, the message was unmistakable: Greek wine mythology is not about reinvention. It is about discovering something, seeking quality and being rewarded with value, authenticity and history.
Why You Should Try Greek Wines
Why pick up a bottle of Greek wine next visit to your wine store?
Obviously you clicked on this article because you are curious, as you should be. I personally would like you to keep fuelling that curiosity and consider the next trip you make to the wine store, head to a different part of the store than where you usually find yourself in. If you pick up a bottle of Greek wine, don’t be scared from the varieties, Greek language on the bottle or because it doesn’t have Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay written on it, be bold. It’s the new year after all.
Not to mention that all the amazing wines pictured are well under 40 CAD. So the price per value is off the charts.
I invite you to check out our story about the Introduction to Greek Wines if you need a comparison, an anchor if you will. However you obtain a Greek wine, know that it’s made with quality in mind, authenticity and it follows a vine of history that leads hundreds of years back.
Bring it to a party and watch people flock to try it, especially over the same bottles they see every time. For more information on the Wines of Greece, please visit their website.
I would like to thank Sommelier Angela Aiello, Sommelier Drew Innes of MEZES on the Danforth and the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto for their hospitality, insight and for having me to this horizon expanding experience.
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