Curated by Michele Edington, Certified Sommelier
Piraeus is on your way to Athens, but wine people should also look east toward Attica, where old Savatiano vines, modern retsina and a handful of wonderfully curious winemakers are making this one of the most fun Greek wine regions to dig into.
At a glance
Wine snapshot
Think lemon peel, pear skin, white peach, chamomile, dried herbs, wildflowers and a faint waxy texture that gets more interesting with age. Retsina brings pine, rosemary and mastic into the mix, while Mandilaria gives you sour cherry, cranberry, thyme and a darker herbal side of Attica.
Also worth a sip
Ouzo feels completely at home in Piraeus because this is a city built around ports, fish markets, ouzeries and long tables full of little seafood dishes. Add cold water and the clear spirit turns cloudy while anise and fennel aromas suddenly jump out of the glass, which is basically chemistry giving you a little tableside show before lunch.
Add cold water first, then ice. As the alcohol level drops, the aromatic oils come out of solution and the ouzo turns milky white. Sip it slowly with sardines, octopus, taramosalata or fried seafood instead of treating it like a shot. This is a long-lunch beverage if there ever was one.
Common questions
- What wine is Piraeus known for?
- Think lemon peel, pear skin, white peach, chamomile, dried herbs, wildflowers and a faint waxy texture that gets more interesting with age. Retsina brings pine, rosemary and mastic into the mix, while Mandilaria gives you sour cherry, cranberry, thyme and a darker herbal side of Attica.
- What grapes are grown around Piraeus?
- Savatiano, Roditis, Malagousia, Assyrtiko, Mandilaria, Agiorgitiko.
- Why is Piraeus a notable wine stop?
- Attica is Savatiano country. The grape has grown here for centuries because it handles heat and drought remarkably well, and today producers are finally showing just how many personalities it can have. Attica also remains the historic home of retsina, so this is one of the best places to taste the old tradition and the very modern version side by side.
- Is Piraeus a wine destination?
- Ouzo feels completely at home in Piraeus because this is a city built around ports, fish markets, ouzeries and long tables full of little seafood dishes. Add cold water and the clear spirit turns cloudy while anise and fennel aromas suddenly jump out of the glass, which is basically chemistry giving you a little tableside show before lunch.
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Nearby winery
Domaine Papagiannakos
Local label terms, decoded
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