Nemea to the north-east of Peloponnese is a hotspot for red Greek wines in terms of quantity and certainly, of quality.

Nemea is distinguished by a bedazzling variety of soils, aspects altitudes and hence microclimates which explain the many facet of the Agiorgitiko grape: Its wine styles range from fresh roses, very light velvety reds that are drunk chilled, to medium-bodied and moderately tannic, oak-aged, forward-drinking reds, to some of the most deep coloured, tannic and concentrated monsters produced from native Greek grapes.

Agiorgitiko bears many similarities with Merlot. In terms of flavour expression, texture and blending potential. At their best Nemea and other Agiorgitiko wines display soft, sweet tannins in abundance. As a result they are outstanding candidates for both barrel ageing and carbonic maceration.

Nemean winemakers have also experimented at various degrees of success with international varieties.  One practice blends low-yielding Agiorgitiko grapes that originate from the higher vineyards with small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet, creating a style dubbed super-Nemeas (outside of the AOC classification) that can age and develop gracefully for several years. There has been a call for a super-appellation, High Nemea, to make these distinctions within the Nemea appellation zone more clear.

Recommended Producers:

George Skouras, a Dijon graduate, Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, one of Greece's most famous consultant enologists and owner of the pioneering Gaia Estate in a high-elevation site near Nemea. Also the artisan Thanassis Papaioánnou.