He began, “The world doesn’t need another Chardonnay.” That answered the question most of us were asking in our mind—why put up barriers to people drinking your wine by using grapes most wine drinkers haven’t heard of and can’t pronounce. And we’re not talking Viognier or Gewürztraminer; it’s Agiorgitiko, Moscophilero and Assyrtiko. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos is the face of modern wine making in his home country; his wines have gained international acclaim, awards and high praise from ‘Decanter’, ‘Wine and Spirits’, Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson. And when your home country is Greece, that’s as difficult as pronouncing the above-mentioned grapes. Seemingly an overnight success with his wines now admired and available—it’s actually been a 30-year journey. He’s knowledgeable, articulate and personable; when he speaks, everyone listens.
He co-owns Gai’a wines (pronounced Yeah-Ah) drawing from grapes grown on the island of Santorini and from estate vineyards in Nemea, near Athens. He earned a Ph.D in oenology from Bordeaux and now heads up the influential Oenology Department at the Technical University of Athens. Yiannis has flipped the Greek wine industry on its head turning on younger, university-trained Greek wine makers to modern, even ultra-modern, viticulture and wine making techniques. Along the way, he’s also turned off many of the old guard, happily making old-style Retsina that international wine drinkers love to hate.
Santorini is phylloxera free and phylloxera protected as the necessary clay content needed in soil for phylloxera to survive doesn’t exist on the island. Due to the hilly terrain and nature of the soils on Santorini, the low-yielding grapes—one ton per acre and less—are hand picked and dry farmed. Needing to protect the grapes from the hot climate and extreme wind, a unique system of vine-training was developed and has been in use for centuries. The vines are not trellised, but rather trained at ground level to form ever-larger concentric circles, keeping them low to the ground—like an artistically designed bush vine.
Each vintage the vine is layered on top of the previous year’s growth. This can go on for decades, even centuries. With many tired rootstock producing minimal fruit, the vine is severed just above ground level beginning the process anew, retaining centuries-old vine roots. This technique, along with other modern techniques in viticulture and wine making, have allowed him to gain international acclaim for his wines. And he’s correct; the world doesn’t need another Chardonnay.
Winecurrent met Paraskevo
poulos and tasted his wine in Ottawa at a session hosted by their Ontario agent, Rob Elvy, from The Small Winemakers Collection. It was held at play Food and Wine in the ByWard Market, Ottawa, one of Stephen Beckta’s wildly popular dining spots. A select group of Ottawa’s top restaurant Sommeliers attended. Gai’a wine is available in Ontario from The Small Winemakers Collection. Tasting notes follow: 
Gai’a Wines ‘Notios’ White 2009
Pelopenese, Greece $16.00 12.0% alcohol
A fusion of two indigenous varietals—the aromatic Moscophilero and the racy Roditis, this delivers a delicately perfumed nose of rosewater and spice. The palate’s treated to a medium-bodied nicely textured and focused persistent stream of tangy lemon-lime and red currant. The finish is crisp, refreshing and mouth-watering. It’s the perfect aperitif and pairs well with lightly breaded and pan-seared calamari. Available for purchase by the case of 6 from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)
Gai’a Wines ‘Notios’ Red 2009
Nemea, Greece $16.00 13.5% alcohol
Bistro-styled and bursting with fresh vibrant fruit, this is easy drinking with a difficult to argue value-driven price. On the nose it’s grape-like while on the palate it’s rich and luscious with oodles of flavour—black berry and spiced black plum. It has a generous mouth feel, is nicely structured and dishes out a lingering balanced aftertaste. Lovely sipped on its own, it has the stuffing to match with grilled lamb kebabs. Order by the case of 6 for home or office delivery from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)
Gai’a Wines Assyrtiko ‘Wild Ferment’ 2009
Santorini, Greece $24.00 13.5% alcohol
Eighty-year-old vines, wild yeast and meticulous viticulture and wine making techniques coalesce to produce this racy gem. Aromas of minerality, citrus and tree fruit abound on the nose while the flavours on the palate are key lime, white grapefruit and ripe lemon—look for more succulent fruit flavours to develop after short term aging. Good to go now with fish and shellfish under a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. Order by the case of 6 for home or office delivery from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)
Gai’a Wines Agiorgitiko 2008
Nemea, Greece $19.00 13.7% alcohol
This Agiorgitiko a.k.a. St. George, is one of the best-known local varieties delivering a well-balanced and fruit-driven red. This delivers aromas and complex flavours of spiced black plum, tangy red field berry and succulent black cherry. It’s mid weight, nicely textured sporting a lengthy balanced finish of berry fruit and black plum. There’s good structure from soft fine-grained tannin, plus a lip-smacking aftertaste. Order by the case of 6 for home or office delivery from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)
Gai’a Wines ‘S’ 2007
Nemea, Greece $28.00 13.5% alcohol
This red blend—70% Agiorgitiko / 30% Syrah—jumps from the glass with aromas of black pepper, savoury spice and herb and ripe bramble berry. There’s great purity of complex fruit flavour—spicy black currant, black cherry and ripe boysenberry—that washes in waves over the palate and through the endless balanced spice-infused aftertaste. The 12 months in new small French barrique has been seamlessly integrated. It’s medium bodied, nicely textured and punches well above the price. Order by the case of 6 for home or office delivery from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)
Gai’a Wines ‘Estate’ 2006
Nemea, Greece $39.00 13.8% alcohol
Their flagship wine, this is elegant and structured with good complexity. 100% Agiorgitiko, this saw 30 days extraction in seasoned oak vats then 12 – 14 months in predominantly French oak barrique. On the nose there is a savoury spice, dark berry fruit and mineral bouquet. Complex flavours blossom on the palate with black currant and spiced black plum to the fore. It’s medium-bodied with a silky smooth mouth feel and lingering fruity cherry/berry finish. The oak is well integrated and the tannins supple and smooth. Order by the case of 6 for home or office delivery from The Small Winemakers Collection or from Rob Elvy at 613.530.0575. (Vic Harradine)