Chappaz, Marie-Therese 2018 Valais AOC Les Dahrres

Domaine L&R Kox 2019 Moselle Luxembourgeoise Elbling Liter

Domaine Tatsis 2018 Macedonia Limnio

The Tatsis brothers have been making natural wines (farming organically and biodynamically, fermenting exclusively with native yeasts, and employing no additives) since the 1990s, positioning them as among the very first natural winemakers Greece. They are based in Macedonia, near Goumenissa, and focus on the local varieties of Limnio, Xinomavro, and Roditis. Limnio is a grape with a long history in Greece that spread from the Aegean Islands to the mainland. Tatsis' Limnio is light-medium bodied, characterful, and refreshing with notes of  cherry, ripe strawberry, and Mediterranean herbs on the nose, and a mineral and herbal palate with lots of red fruit character. Cari and I compared it to Loire Gamay or a lighter Cabernet Franc. A great spring wine. Ben Fletcher

Gotsa 2017 Georgie, Kartli Chinuri

Kabaj San Lurinz 2019 Slovenia Malvasija Hydra Petillant Naturel

Kamara Estate NV Retsina Wine (Greece)

Retsina is the ancient style of resinated white wine native to Greece. Wines have been flavored with the sap or resin of the Aleppo Pine for at least 2000 years, and the unique profile is (when well done) very friendly to the spiced seafood and other Mediterranean fare that forms the core of the Greek diet. I like to drink retsina with cured fish, with olives, or with Asian food.  This retsina is the most impressive I've tasted, and very reasonable in price: the grapes (from young vines belonging to Kamara Estate near Thessaloniki) are vinified in stainless steel tanks with small bits of Aleppo Pine resin added to the must. The profile is clearly resinated (think of the aromas of pine sap and bark, rather than aggressive menthol notes) but the fresh character of bright Assyrtiko and Roditis grapes certainly comes through (typically, modern retsina is made with neutral, fleshier Savatiano - the use of Assyrtiko and Roditis makes this brighter, fresher, and more interesting to my palate). Retsina sometimes gets dismissed but I hope you'll try this as either a fun apéritif or a great pairing for well-flavored seafood, garlicky dips, or charcuterie. Ben Fletcher

Papras Winery 2019 PGI Tyrnavos (Greece) Melanthia

Papras Winery 2019 PGI Tyrnavos (Greece) Oreads Black Muscat

Oreads, named for the nymphs of the mountains, is the rosé wine of the nymph-named trio from Papras Bio Wines, made from Black Muscat of Tyrnavos, which has been planted in Tyrnavos (near Mt. Olympus) for more than one hundred years. Like the Pleiades and Naiads, the organically farmed grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerated on their skins for ten days, then bottled without fining or filtering and with only a small addition of sulfur (10mg). This year's Oreads is slightly darker in color than last year's, and shows beautiful pink flower, dried rose, and orange blossom aromatics. The palate is dry, crisp, and salty with lots of floral and citrus character: pansies, lilacs, the juice of blood oranges, salted pink grapefruit, and lemon zest. A great expression of this unique aromatic grape, and an instant reminder of spring time. Ben Fletcher

Papras Winery 2019 PGI Tyrnavos (Greece) Pleiades Roditis Orange

The Pleiades are the nymphs of the stars, and this bottling is made from the rosy-hued Roditis grape. Of the three nymph-wines from Papras this is the spiciest and perhaps the most clearly an "orange wine". It is made in the same method as the Oreads and the Naiads: the grapes are pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerate on their skins for ten days and finally bottled without fining or filtering and with only a small (10mg) addition of SO2. Pleiades is aromatically spicy, with melon, white pepper, yellow flower, and ripe orange on the nose. The palate is dry and surprisingly structured, with elegant tannins and plenty of citrus-driven acidity that complement flavors of quince, pineapple, Bergamot, and green tea. This is my favorite version of Pleiades that I've tasted. Ben Fletcher

Sclavos 2015 Kefalonia Tsaousi

Sclavos 2017 Kefalonia Sunodos

Sclavos is a long-time organic winery on the island of Cephalonia in the Ionian sea, off the West coast of Greece. Sunodos or Synodos is a blend of mostly Mavrodaphne, a dark, full bodied red grape, with a bit of  the white  grape Vostilidi for lift. The grapes are hand harvested, pressed, then cofermented and rested in old oak barrels before bottling without fining or filtering and with only a tiny amount of sulfur added. The wine is dark and full-bodied, with a striking core of chalky, limestone minerality surrounded by herbal notes, sea salt, and black cherry. This is great now, but could certainly age well! Ben Fletcher

Siflogo 2019 Lefkada Vertzami "Keropatis"

Siflogo is an organic wine project begun by Maria and Dionysis Papanikolopoulos on the picturesque island of Lefkada in the Ionian sea, off the west coast of mainland Greece. Here, ungrafted vines of indigenous grape varieties (Vertzami, Vardea, Mavropatrino) struggle on poor, very rocky, limestone soils. Keropatis, the name of this wine, is a local term for light red wines that are close to rosé in terms of body. Made from the dark, black grape Vertzami, this is a pretty, mineral and delicately fruity light red wine made with a short maceration and without the addition of sulfur. It shows notes of cranberry, candied sour cherry, and lots of limestone minerality. I've been drinking it with a slight chill - and it disappears very quickly! Ben Fletcher

Stilianou 2018 Crete Great Mother Red

Giannis Stilianou and his son tend 3 hectares of indigenous Cretan grapes near Heraklion, the capital of the dry, sun-beaten, Greek island of Crete. The Great Mother Red is a wine made with Mandilaria, an intensely dark and tannic grape native to the Aegean Isles. In order to produce a more lightly colored and delicate wine Giannis macerates the juice on the skins for only one day - yielding an aromatic and intensely flavored wine that is eminently drinkable. With aromatic notes of forest herbs, salt, and red fruit, the palate is bright, clean and fresh with red cherry and salted plum notes. This was great with lamb burgers. Ben Fletcher

Troupis Winery 2019 Arcadia (Greece) Moschofilero "Hoof & Lur"