There are hundreds of indigenous grape varieties in Greece and I’ve tried most of them. Xinomavro, a red grape from Northern Greece, is among the absolute best. If you haven’t had a glass of Xinomavro, make that your mission for this weekend.
Origin Story
Xinomavro, or sometimes written Xynomavro, is the pride of Greece’s wine industry. First, how do you pronounce Xinomavro? Ksee-NO-mah-vro. It can be described as brutally elegant. The name of the Xinomavro grape tells you all you need to know. It translates to sour black. Xinomavro is a bold, vicious grape that has kept winemakers and farmers on their toes. Its nature is to be wild, unforgiving, and ruthless. Untamed, Xinomavro will rip your face off. Okay, not literally, but close!
Thankfully, the latest generation of winemakers in Northern Greece have learned how to tame the beast. Special care is made to keep the tannins in Xinomavro from being too aggressive and too astringent. Once wrangled in, Xinomavro wine is gorgeous. It’s a very elegant wine with brilliant floral and fruit character. There’s also herbal character that makes Xinomavro and excellent food wine.
Xinomavro is often herald as Greece’s best wine and I believe that is a fair title. There is a lot of potential with Xinomavro. Even though there’s already beautiful Xinomavro available on the market, I believe it will only continue to improve. The international wine industry is recognizing the value in Xinomavro. It is a wine that will be just as good as a Barolo or Burgundy as it is often compared to but at a much lower price.
Best Regions for Xinomavro
- Naoussa
- North central Greece
- Most rustic expressions
- 100% Xinomavro
- Best Producers: Dalamaras, Markovitis, Thymiopoulos
- Amyndeon
- Northwest Greece
- More polished styles
- Made into excellent methode champenoise sparkling wine
- Best Producers: Alpha Estate, Karanika
- Goumenissa
- North central Greece
- Blended with up to 30% Negoska grapes to mellow out harshness
- Natural wines
- Best Producers: Chatzivaritis, Tatsis
- Rapsani
- Central Greece in the shadow of Mount Olympus
- Blended with Krasato and Stavroto grapes
- Spicier and plumper
- Best Producers: Dougos
Eyes- What do Xinomavro grapes look like?
On the vine, Xinomavro grapes are deep blue purple with tightly clustered berries with thick skins. Xinomavro is late ripening and does best in continental climates. In the glass, Xinomavro colors range from deep ruby purple to red brick.
Nose- What does Xinomavro smell like?
Xinomavro is a rather aromatic wine with plenty of beautiful and enchanting smells. A lot of expression of Xinomavro can be quite savory on the nose- herbs, spices, olives. To me, Xinomavro always smells like ketchup! Okay, winemakers HATE when I say that so to say it a little bit more sophisticatedly, sweet tomato leaf. Xinomavro also has aromas of deep red fruit like raspberry and black cherry. Xinomavro from Naoussa also has a beautiful rose petal smell. There’s often a leather and tobacco note to older Xinomavro.
Mouth- What does Xinomavro taste like?
Brace yourself. Xinomavro has very high tannins, high acid, and is full bodied. Xinomavro is an aggressive wine that needs time to age. The longer, the better. Modern wineries are micro-oxygenating their Xinomavro to make it easier to drink and available to market sooner. Aged Xinomavro is luscious and opulent. Xinomavro is a very savory wine. You’ll feel a continuation of the tomato leaf smells in the flavors of Xinomavro. There’s also a beautiful dried flower note on the finish.
Xinomavro Food Pairing
Xinomavro pairs well with many Greek and international foods. This is a big wine and needs full-flavor dishes to match. As I mentioned, Xinomavro smells like ketchup so it makes an excellent burger and BBQ wine. Northern Greek cuisine is a bit heavier than Greek island cuisine and therefore Xinomavro matches with hearty dishes like moussaka, pastitsio, and giouvetsi. The north has many butter based dishes and heavier stews. Xinomavro matches well with wintery comfort foods. Xinomavro pairs with wild boar, game meats, osso bucco, and anything with tomato sauce. For more wine pairing tips, click here.
Glassware and serving tips
Xinomavro needs age, try to go for 5 years old or older. If you can’t wait that long, decant, decant, decant! Serve in bigger bulb glassware with a wide rim. Serve it ever so slightly cool. Xinomavro can age up to 15 years.
International Xinomavro Day is November 1st!
A great time to try a Xinomavro wine is on International Xinomavro Day. It is celebrated each year on November 1st. See a complete list of wine holidays here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Xinomavro?
Most Greek words are phonetic so you pronounce every letter. Xinomavro is no different. Ksee-NO-mahv-ro is how to pronounce Xinomavro.
What wine goes with Greek food?
When pairing wine with ethnic food, the best rule of thumb is to drink wine from that country, too. With Greek food, a Greek wine will be best. People have been drinking their local wines with their local food for as long as wine has existed. For Greek white wines, try an Assyrtiko, Malagousia, or Moschofilero. For Greek red wines, try Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko, and Mavrodaphne.
What kind of wine is similar to Xinomavro?
Xinomavro is often compared to Nebbiolo, the main grape of Barolo and Barbaresco. Xinomavro and Nebbiolo have similar aromas of rose petal, tar, and red fruit. Also, both grapes have a high tannic structure and light color.
Some have also compared Xinomavro to Pinot Noir. This I have a harder time agreeing with because the tannins are so prominent in Xinomavro. However, there is an elegance in both wines that draws the comparison.
Oh I miss a good Xino 🍷
I say we take a trip up north to Naoussa together in the spring!