2016 Domaine Zafeirakis Malagousia

Region: Tirnavus < Thessaly < Greece
Grapes: Malagousia
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic; clay soils with high concentration of flint stone; harvested in three phases; minimal SO2 added at bottling; 12.5% ABV
Winemaker: Christos Zafeirakis

Domaine Zafeirakis lies in the shadows of Mt. Olympus near the town of Tirnavos, in the region of Thessaly where Odysseus was said to have visited in ‘The Odyssey’. In this mythic landscape, Christos Zafeirakis, the fourth in his family to farm their land, took over and converted to organic farming. Like many new wineries in Greece, the family previously sold their grapes to the local cooperative, but in 2005, he became the first in his family to bottle wine under their own label. He works with several indigenous varieties, including Malagousia, a super aromatic white that flaunts peach, wildflower honey and a touch of spice that coats the mouth. It’s full-bodied, but finishes with a crispness and minerality that keeps the package tight. We love aromatic wines like this as an aperitivo, but it would also be amazing with seafood, an array of Greek mezes, or simply pasta sauced with good olive oil and sheep’s milk cheese.