Glinavos Vlahiko '18

Lefteris Glinavos was part of the wave of boutique vintners that were instrumental in changing the entire face of Greek winemaking during the 1970s. Lefteris chose Bordeaux for his education, and after completing his studies he traveled back to his native Epirus in 1978 to begin Domaine Glinavos in the hopes of marrying the traditions of his local wine producing region with the best of what, at that time, modern winemaking could achieve. Now, Domaine Glinavos is under the supervision of Lefteris’s son, Thomas Glinavos.

They own 20 hectares of vines in multiple plots sprinkled among the high perches of the appellation of Zitsa, in the region of Epirus, in northwestern Greece. Domaine Glinavos is in a semimountainous region that is more reminiscent of Austria or Switzerland than Mediterranean Greece. Limestone soils and other types of rock help create finely delineated wines with bright acidity and lacy minerality. Cold winters and cooler summers produce wines that struggle to reach 12.5% ABV. Working with the indigenous varieties of Debina, Vlahiko, and Bekari, Glinavos aims to show the best of what these varieties can achieve when handled with the care and attention afforded to other varieties in other great regions of Europe.

Glinavos is one of the few producers using Vlahiko to make still red wine today, and the producer sources it from a mere hectare of land farmed by local growers. For this wine, a small amount of the indigenous red variety Bekari is also used. The grapes are completely destemmed and vinified in oak vats for 12 days, and the wine is aged for two years in French oak barrels.

The Vlahiko is a true terroir wine. The aromas that combine red fruit, with savory herb and forest notes is a direct reflection of the Ioannina landscape. The wine is medium bodied, with soft tannins, and a savory quality that makes it so suitable to food and wine pairings. Lamb stew or meat pies are an ideal accompaniment.