You can't ever go wrong with Papaioannou. There are some Greek wine makers whose products I 'll drink bllind, but not necessarily buy blind.
In the case of Papaioannou, I buy blind.
First of all, there is his Aygiorgitiko (local variety of Nemea) series, starting with Ktima (estate) and going up to "Old Vineyards" and "Micro Climate", if I remember well. Ideal for grilled meat or Greek poor man's meal (bread, feta cheese, tomato, olives, peppers, onion and garlic - with olive oil and plenty of oregano).
Then, his Cabernet Sauvignon, also cultivated in Nemea, labelled "Cava" is a steal at 12E (I guesstimate that many French people, if blind-folded, would think this is a 50E, at least, bottle, from their own country). I 've found it's the absolutely perfect match for (very) hot pasta - Arabiatissima
Other than Aygiorgitiko (St George's) from Nemea, the Queen of Greek grapes, a "feminine" wine best suited for sauce-free grilled meals, the Greek male King variety is Xinomavro (Sourblack) of Macedonia, be it Naoussa or Amyntaion / Florina.
Very idiosyncratic, the Devil in a grape, so very few wine makers dare make single variety wines out of it. Most blend it with Merlot and/or Syrah, for consistency through the years. Suitable for spicy, cooked foods, heavy sauces and game.
Plain Xinomavro is made by Boutaris brand under the vineyard's name ("Naoussa") and by Thymiopoulos, the latter being better.
Lots of blends by the brother Boutaris (Kyr Yannis brand), mostly very good but sometimes overpriced.
Tsantalis is another noteworthy Macedonian wine maker. I would single out Rapsani (blend of Xinomavro and other traditional local varieties) and Metohi Chromitsa (blend with French varieties I can't remember by heart). An upgraded Chromitsa is the Kormilitsa, hugely overpriced though, 'cause President Putin, following a visit of his to the monastic community of Mount Athos, orders at least half of a year's production for Kremlin use
Averoff winery in Metsovo, on the mountains of Epirus (Greece's highest altitude vineyards at almost 1000m) produces some very nice reds from both local and French varieties. The best (worth ordering from Finland) are the Rossiu di Munte series (Red of the Mountain, in local Vlach dialect of Latin origin).
I 'll ask for more accurate details my liquor store owner (a friend by now
) and come back to you.
