Greek wine and food - a perfect combination - Trigiro (2023)

FAQs

What is a good wine to pair with Greek food? ›

As you'd expect from a Mediterranean cuisine, wine is the usual accompaniment to a meal in a Greek restaurant. Greece has been a centre of wine-making for its entire history and though there are few big name wines produced here, there are many very palatable wines perfectly suited to Greek food.

White Wine

Its bold body, lack of acidity, rich and creamy texture make it an excellent option for the above choices. This delicate white wine holds flavors of white peach, green apple, and lime. Its light sweetness makes it a perfect complementary pairing for spicy dishes.

Made using fantastically fresh ingredients including lamb, seafood, vegetables, beans, pulses, olives and olive oil, herbs, cheese, and yoghurt, there's a dish for every taste and every occasion, and of a course a wine style to match. But what goes better with Greek food red or white wine? The answer is, both!

Artichokes are the most notoriously hard to pair, and leave even some of the best sommeliers shuddering. This one really upsets me, because there are few things more enjoyable in life than devouring artichokes' flowery green leaves on a long afternoon.

Greeks like to cleanse their palates and ease their mind with some ouzo before a meal. Ouzo is an aperitif that is drunk before eating to prepare your taste buds and "open" the appetite. There's an art to enjoying the anis-flavored nation drink. Good ouzo is around 40% alcohol by volume and isn't made to be chugged.

Tsikoudia is traditionally kept in the freezer and served icy cold after a meal as it is believed to aid digestion. Some bottles of Tsikoudia are flavored with lemon rind, rosemary, or honey – Rakomelo. People living in the Cycladic islands produce their own variety which is called 'souma'.

Ouzo. Ouzo is a delicious anise-flavored drink from Greece. The spirit is generally consumed as an aperitif after dinner and undergoes a rigorous distillation process. It has an ABV of around 45% and uses rectified spirits to create a rich and punchy flavor.

Off-dry white wines, such as Riesling, are often touted as a good match for spicy foods, because the slight sweetness can help to reduce the heat.

We were surprised to discover that a very full-bodied dry red wine with high alcohol worked rather well with spicy food. We would recommend a dry red wine with richly spiced meats, such as cumin-pepper ribs or spicy barbeque, which works as long as the wine is bold enough to stand up to the food.

What wine pairs best with spicy food? ›

Pick light-bodied, fruit-forward, low-alcohol reds. Avoid red wines with high levels of tannin and oak, as those will make the spicy food seem all the spicier. Lower tannin reds like Gamay, Zweigelt, Schiava, and some Pinot Noirs are great served slightly chilled.

Ouzo is considered the national drink of Greece. In technical terms, it is either produced by partial distillation or the admixture of plain alcohol with aromatic herbs.

To say cheers in Greek, you say " Yamas" which is short for "Stin Yeia Mas" which means to our health.

What is the most popular drink in Greece? While ouzo is considered the national drink of Greece, many other drinks are popular. A refreshing beer is common during summer, while wine and tsipouro, also called raki, are also consumed.

Greek diet mostly relies on its produce of the country: fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, goats, sheep, fresh fish, and, of course, the ever present olive oil. Cheeses and yogurts are also fundamental. Eating is focal in Greek culture. It is around the dining table everything is shared.

Vinegar - the strong character of the acetic acid easily breaks the balance of a wine, making it much harder and more acidic than its natural character. Other enemies of wine at the table are citrus fruits, that are particularly difficult to pair with wine, for the same reason.

Do say: “I can see it's a vibrant purple, this must be a young red”. Don't say: “Look at the legs! This must be a great wine”. This is one of the most crucial parts of wine tasting, because the aromas, perceived only through the nose, are a vital part of our appreciation of a wine.

The wine should be sweeter than the food. The wine should have the same flavor intensity as the food. Red wines pair best with bold flavored meats (e.g. red meat). White wines pair best with light-intensity meats (e.g. fish or chicken).

What are the biggest mistakes beginners make when pairing wine? ›

Not Matching Wine Intensity with The Intensity of The Food Flavors. This is a common pairing mistake people make, and it's the easiest to avoid. As a general rule of thumb, you should always pair stronger wines with stronger flavors and lighter wines with more delicate food options.

The single most important aspect of a wine for food matching is not colour but body or weight (which corresponds closely with alcoholic strength).

Bitter, fat, acid, salt, sweetness, and alcohol balance together to make a perfect pairing.

Ouzo (Greek: ούζο, IPA: [ˈuzo]) is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece. It is made from rectified spirits that have undergone a process of distillation and flavoring. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis, sambuca, rakı and arak.

OPA is a Greek Word that may be used as an 'Exclamation', or 'Utterance', or 'Declaration', or 'Affirmation' or a lovingly gentle way of telling you to 'Stop' ... depending on the situational context.

Kali orexi (καλή όρεξη): this means “good appetite” and is said before a meal. Stin igia mas / Yiamas (στην υγειά μας / γειά μας): this means “to our health,” and is used when raising glasses in a toast.

The Greeks never fail to start their day off with a hearty mix! A typical Greek breakfast usually consists of a wide variety of bread, pastry, fruits, and Greek yogurt. These foods are high in nutritional value and a great source of energy — an excellent way to begin your Greek food adventures!

Tsikoudia is sometimes served cold from a bottle kept in a freezer. This is commonly offered as an after dinner digestif, and in most tavernas in Crete it is offered as a complimentary digestif with fruits and sweets after the meal. It can be flavored using lemon rind, rosemary, or honey (rakomelo).

Traditionally, local people in Greece would eat a very light breakfast and a late dinner because the largest meal of the day was often lunch. Breakfast would consist of a phyllo pastry, Greek yogurt or fruit, and make way for a typical Greek lunch or mesimeriano that would normally take place in the late afternoon.

What are 5 main foods the Greeks ate? ›

The main foods the Ancient Greeks ate were bread, made from wheat, and porridge, made from barley. They used lots of olive oil to cook and add flavor to dishes. They also ate a range of vegetables, including chickpeas, olives, onions, garlic, and cabbage.

You might be hesitant to think that there are several types of wine that pair well with spicy food, but the science behind it says otherwise. The science says that red wine with high alcohol content works well with spicy foods because the alcohol acts as a solvent to the chemical compound in the peppers and spice.

Try Matching to Aromas

If you're eating something that's heavy in Chinese five spice, then a plummy Pinot Noir will work well, since it contains hints of those spices. Indian dishes that are doused in cardamom, clove, coriander, and more, will match well with wines that also have those spices.

The peppers already carry notes of sweetness that the savory sausage will complement. A few sips of sweet wine will highlight the sausage and pepper flavors even more, and Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent choice.

But alcohol is a double-edged sword when it comes to spicy foods. First, it too is an irritant and activates those same pain receptors that capsaicin does. So in a way, it might actually make the problem worse. It will send more signals to the brain that you are in trouble, causing a stronger pain reaction.

DON'T assume a glass of water will be your salvation.

If you take nothing else away, leave with this: Because capsaicin is oil-based, drinking water will basically just spread this molecule around your mouth — setting off even more of your pain receptors.

Don't eat before you go.

“Of course, if you're hitting multiple tasting rooms in one day, you'll need to eat something. But just avoid anything with too much garlic, onions, capers, or anything with a lingering smell or taste.”

Spicy Pasta

Choosing the wrong wine to pair with your dish can overpower the flavoring. Wines that pair well with spicy pasta dishes are a dry white wine or a light red wine. Examples of these wines would be Riesling for a white wine or, Zinfandel for a red wine.

Heat Index

Balancing spice is key. “For the world-famous Jamaican jerk chicken, most people would reach for a cold, refreshing Red Stripe beer to counteract the strong, hot pepper spices,” says Fowles, “but a crisp and fruity, off-dry Columbia Valley rosé would also pair well.”

What alcoholic drink goes with spicy food? ›

A swig of beer will quench a chili-induced thirst, so putting the flames out with a beer or Champagne cocktail is a quick fix. Cocktails that include club soda (there are so many!), like a John Collins or Passionfruit Gin, are fantastic too.

Greece is primarily known for its white grape varieties. Among them, Assyrtiko tops the list of the finest Greek wine varieties. Indigenous to the island of Santorini, Assyrtiko is now grown in other places in Greece too, mainly on the Cyclades Islands.

The Mediterranean diet is compatible with alcoholic drinks that fit the low carb and heart-healthy requirements of the diet. Red wine is the most suitable drink as a result. You can use red wine in cooking, or you can drink a glass or two with a meal. The key is to consume responsibly and moderately.

Best Red Wine To Pair With Greek Food

Cabernet Franc: medium body with tart fruit flavors, similar to Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir: always a popular choice: light, sweet red, high on aromatics. Beaujolais: also known as Gamay, light, low tannins. Tempranillo; medium-bodied with high tannins, similar to Merlot.

Red, white, orange and rosé wines are made across Greece, in both still and sparkling format and at various levels of dryness or sweetness. Greece is also known for retsina, a traditional wine flavored with pine resin.

The most common drinks to accompany a meal are beer, wine and tsipouro / raki. Ouzo is also popular, but people tend to have it with specific dishes.

Ouzo is considered the national drink of Greece. In technical terms, it is either produced by partial distillation or the admixture of plain alcohol with aromatic herbs.

Assyrtiko. Assyrtiko is one of the most popular Greek products and recognized wine varieties in Greece and can be found all across the country since its production is not limited to one specific region but rather covers the majority of the land.

This healthy diet pattern involves a "Mediterranean way of drinking," that is a regular, moderate wine consumption mainly with food (up to two glasses a day for men and one glass for women).

Does red wine go with Mediterranean food? ›

Best Red Wine to Pair with Mediterranean Food

Reds are best reserved for heavy, meaty dishes such as moussaka and gyros or lamb-based entrees. Dishes that are grilled or barbequed, or served with a hearty sauce can stand up to bold, full-bodied red.

Tzatziki/Cacik

This fresh white sauce goes great with fresh white wine like Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc, and Trebbiano. It also works with fruity, earthy reds like Cabernet Franc or Pinot Noir when pairing with red meat.

Greek pizza is all about the bold flavors of feta cheese and black olives so we can go with equally bold reds. A Syrah can shine here, playing off those dark olive notes and salty feta cheese. Pinotage could also work, as could an Argentinian Malbec.

Ouzo is a delicious anise-flavored drink from Greece. The spirit is generally consumed as an aperitif after dinner and undergoes a rigorous distillation process.

Mastika or mastiha is a liqueur seasoned with mastic, a resin with a slightly pine or cedar-like flavor gathered from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region.