Vines of plenty

Consensus update: Greek wines are awful no more.As SAMANTHA PAYNE writes, the Old-meetsNew World wine nation is advancing at pace.

As someone who is ensconced in Australian wine, I rarely get to "deep dive" into foreign regions. So, with a fresh notebook, a bowl of olives (great for the theme and also for neutralising tannin on the palate), and an open mind, I tried more than 30 different styles crafted from native grape varieties across Greece.

Through this process, I realised that Greek and Australian wines maybe aren't so different after all.

Greek wine has undergone many of the same teething issues that young wine regions experience. It's not too long ago that Australian wines were also known to be concerningly big, bold, massively over-oaked and high in alcohol.

Unsurprisingly, from the country that layed the foundations for science, Greek winemakers have been quick to apply New World wine learnings. And the results are vibrant, restrained (in use of oak), and lighter in alcohol.

Many even employ screw-cap closures for younger wines instead of cork.

Barney Fallows from wine wholesaler Déjà Vu Wine Co, the largest importer of premium Greek wine in Australia, recognises the similarities between Greek and