So ancient, yet so new: gorgeous red wines from Greece

IT may seem paradoxical to think of Greece as an emerging wine producer, considering the ancient lineage of its grape vines and wine production. But in the global marketplace of fine wines, that is exactly how Greece should be seen.

It's only in the past 20 years or so that the rest of the world has gotten an opportunity to learn firsthand about the beauty of wines from Greece. With Greece, and especially in the case of its red wines, 20 years may be an exaggeration. Finding Greek reds in New York even 15 years ago would have required a trip to Astoria, Queens, a Greek enclave where wine shops would cater as best they could to the tastes of their local clientele and recent immigrants.

So much has changed, and so quickly. This February, shopping online at a handful of Manhattan wine shops, I was able to find 12 gorgeous Greek reds without leaving my desk.

Each of the 12 wines I've selected is made from Greek grapes like xinomavro and agiorgitiko, which the rest of the world has gotten to know, and a few like mavrodaphne, mandilaria, limniona and vlahiko, which global consumers may get to know in the coming years.

Here are the 12 bottles that spoke to me, in order from low price to high.

Gaia Peloponnese Monograph Agiorgitiko 2019. US$14: This juicy, inexpensive, casual wine is a great introduction to the world of Greek reds from Gaia, one of Greece's leading producers. This bottle is made entirely out of the agiorgitiko grape. It's straightforward and goes down easily.

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Stilianou Crete Great Mother Red Mandilaria 2018. US$20: Mandilaria is one of the principal indigenous grapes of Crete, where Giannis Stilianou farms outside of the city of Iraklion. The grape is known to produce wines that are deeply coloured and fiercely tannic, yet this wine is ruby-coloured and not at all chewy or astringent. It's macerated on the skins for just one day, almost like a rosé, before it's fermented. Nothing is added to this wine beyond a tiny amount of sulfur dioxide. The result is an unmediated honest expression, lightly fruity, earthy and delicious.

Domaine Glinavos Ioannina Vlahiko 2018, US$22: Glinavos, which made its first wines in 1960, was one of the first smaller wine producers in Ioannina in the north-west of Greece. This wine is made of two local grapes, vlahiko and a smaller amount of bekari. It's fresh, spicy and juicy, beautifully balanced, with plenty of peppery fruit flavours.

Diamantis Siatista Moschomavro 2018. US$22: Siatista is in a mountainous region in western Macedonia, where the Diamantis family have long grown grapes. They farm xinomavro and moschomavro, a lesser known red grape that was often used for making sweet wines. This one, however, is bone dry, lively and delicious; with juicy, well-focused aromas and flavours of flowers, red fruits and herbs.

Sant'Or Patra Krasis 2018. US$24: This wine is made of the mavrodaphni grape, long associated with sweet, fortified wines. But this bottle is bone dry, light and fruity, almost like a pinot noir. Panagiotis Dimitropoulos, the proprietor of Sant'Or, farms biodynamically and without irrigation. In the cellar, he works naturally, adding very little sulfur dioxide in the wines.

Domaine Zafeirakis Tyrnavos Limniona 2017. US$25: This wine has been a favourite of mine for at least five years. Christos Zafeirakis, the proprietor, almost single-handedly resurrected limniona by planting it in the Tyrnavos area in Thessaly in 2000. Others have joined him, and it's easy to see why. In Zafeirakis' hands, limniona makes a spicy, juicy, agile, fine wine, with floral, herbal and spice flavours.

Kontozisis Vineyards Karditsa Sun Red 2015. US$25: Kontozisis is an organic grower in Karditsa, in the Thessaly region. Sun Red is a straightforward dry red made of equal parts xinomavaro and limniona. It's an auspicious blend, with the graceful, elegant limniona combining well with the more tannic, powerful xinomavro. This wine is rich, with a pleasing grippiness that will go well with steak and other grilled meats.

Kir-Yianni Naoussa Ramnista Xinomavro 2016. US$27: This exceptional xinomavro comes from Kir-Yianni, one of Greece's leading estates, situated in Macedonia. It's well balanced with deep dark fruit, licorice and herbal flavours, an accent of oak and fine tannins, polished and modern.

Sclavos Slopes of Aenos Orgion 2017. US$29: This is a fascinating wine from the island of Cephalonia. Like the Sant'Or, this is a dry red made of the mavrodaphne grape, which is traditionally used to make sweet red wines. It could not be more different from the Sant'Or, tobacco-scented, intensely herbal and reminiscent of a Médoc. Delicious! Try it with lamb chops.

Domaine Sigalas Cyclades Mandilaria/Mavrotragano 201. US$30: Sigalas may be better known for its white wines than its reds. But it has been one of Greece's leading advocates for mavrotragano, a red grape indigenous to Santorini, which had been slowly disappearing. In this bottle, mavrotragano makes up 60 per cent of a blend with mandilaria. Together, they produce a fresh, lively red fragrant with wild berries, citrus and herbs.

Vaimaki Family Mater Natura 4 Xinomavro 2009. US$40: Made from grapes from only organically farmed vineyards in Macedonia, this wine, the current vintage at 11 years old, is gorgeous. Rich, deep and dry, with aromas of plums and licorice and fine tannins that can barely be felt. It's made in small quantities, so it will be difficult to find. But a wine like this demonstrates the aging potential of this excellent grape.

Domaine Tatsis Macedonia Xinomavro Old Roots 2016. US$40: This is another superb xinomavro, made from old-vine grapes farmed biodynamically. It's complex and bright, with a deep licorice flavor accented by citrus and herb flavors that seem to skyrocket in all directions. NYTIMES