Georgós wines are Greek, sort of. They're also as American as Sonoma County.
To explain, Georgós Zanganas, company founder (above), came up with the idea of producing bona fide Greek wines. And in Sonoma, which is an easy trip from San Francisco, where he lives.
What makes the wines Greek? Zanganas ships grape juice from Greece to California in 1,000 liter bladders (an odd but apt word to link with wine.)
The juice goes to Deerfield Winery in Sonoma, where winemaker Robert Rex completes the wines.
Some consist entirely of Greek grape juice. Some blend in California grapes. The legal standard for a varietal wine is that it must contain 75 % of the grape named. Other grapes used don't have to be listed. The back labels of Georgós wines offer generic, romantic information but not blending details. This is legal, but it would be nice to know more.
For example, the red wine Mykonos (above) is predominantly the red grape Agiorgitiko (St. George grape). Cabernet and Malbec are blended in, but the proportions aren't listed "because that would have crowded the label," Zanganas said, adding "we will do a better job with the next vintage."
At an LA Wine Writers lunch at Cafe del Rey, Mykonos accompanied a seared scallop paired with butternut squash puree and tomato agridolce (above).
At home, I've served Mykonos and the Aphrodite's Kiss dry rosé (above) with spicy Indian and Mexican dishes, and they were good matches for that sort of food. The rosé is also made from Agiorgitiko.
The sole white wine in Georgós' latest releases is Santorini, subtitled "Sophia's Smile." Dry and crisp, it's made from the grape Assyrtiko, and Zanganas compares it to a dry Sauvignon Blanc.
Corfu, a Cabernet blend, is fruity, soft and low in tannins. Easy drinking, it's perhaps not the best match for hearty meats, but enjoyable if you like a wine that gives the impression of sweetness.
The same goes for Ithaka, a blend of California Cabernet and "old world grapes" (what are they?).
Zanganas emphasizes that his wines are low in histamines and sulfites, and they tend to be lower in alcohol. The labels say they're bottled by "Nu Greek Wine," which indicates this newer, health-minded approach. One reason for this is that Zanganas himself is allergic to sulfites. Now he can enjoy his own wines without any unpleasant side effects.
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