Domaine Tatsis Roditis '15

Domaine Tatsis is the work of brothers Periklis and Stergios Tatsis, whose first vintage was in 1996, after taking over the domaine from their father. Periklis works the land and oversees the vines, and Stergios is in charge of making the wine, although the lines often blur with this family endeavor. The wines are certified organic, with many biodynamic principals applied, but the best way to describe them is as one of the small group of original natural winemakers in Greece to pop up in the 1990s, numbering no more than three or four, at a time when international varieties, commercial yeasts, and 100% new oak were the norm in the rest of the country.

Made from the pink-skinned variety Roditis, this is a skin-contact white wine, which means that it also falls into that category known as orange wine. The skin contact also gives the wine more tannins and a bolder structure, which contribute to its ageability. Maceration lasted 30–46 days, and the wine was then aged in old oak barrels.   The classic Roditis was first produced in 1998 while Orange sees maceration of 30 to 46 days and then ages in old oak. You can expect a range of flavors, from toast and honey to dried apricot and marmalade. Pair it with grilled or roasted lamb, a range of meze, or a fricassée.