Words and photo Harrison Davies

Winemakers representing the Naoussa region in Northern Greece met with wine buyers and writers in Adelaide yesterday to showcase their region’s variety, Xinomavro.

Attendees of the Xinomavro masterclass tasting described the variety as tasting like a cousin of Nebbiolo and also shared some characteristics with Cabernet, with styles and vintages ranging from bright and fruit forward to more savoury and tannic.

The Naoussa wine region was the first in Greece to be given an official appellation and red wines from the region feature the Xinomavro variety exclusively.

The variety is thick skinned, disease resistant and able to be grown in dry conditions without irrigation, creating some interest in Australia as a drought resistant wine variety.

The region has been described as having more of a continental climate and attendees on the day drew comparisons to Australia’s Clare Valley.

Attendees of the masterclass worked their way through several vintages and producers to try over 10 examples of Xinomavro.

The event was attended by roughly 25 wine industry representatives and was hosted at George’s on Waymouth, which has poured the variety for customers for many years.

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