Thanks to my everyday involvement with the world of wine, I have come to realise that for the average consumer, wine seems quite impenetrable. And so I have been given the opportunity, through the Strofilia blog, to express some thoughts that could be useful to those who love wine, but also to those who are hesitant about becoming better acquainted with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ten \u2018commandments\u2019 of Giannis Pappas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Don\u2019t be afraid to express yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re not an expert in wine. No one is, not even those who say that they are. In your own, simple words, describe what it is that you\u2019re tasting. There is no right or wrong here; there is only \u2018I like it \/ I don\u2019t like it\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Don\u2019t be afraid to try.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try varieties that still have a poor reputation today. For example, Mavrodaphne doesn\u2019t only give you a terrible hangover at the Patras Carnival, it also produces great dry red wines. Savatiano can be allowed to age for many years. Retsina\u2014if we were any good at marketing\u2014could be served at any London sushi restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Trust small producers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be reluctant to follow up a suggestion, just because it doesn\u2019t have a high profile commercially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Don\u2019t drink cheap house wine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Give your wine the same importance you do to the quality of your food. Unbottled house wine is no purer than bottled wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Get out of the usual wine-producing areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To be sure, Sauvignon Blanc-Assyrtiko is excellent, but why not try a Malagouzia from Attica, or a Liatiko from Crete?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Buy Magnum bottles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 How much does a 75cl bottle cost, compared with a Magnum?<\/strong> You can be sure that it\u2019s never just twice the price. The bigger bottle is almost always a little more expensive, for many reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 And why get the Magnum?<\/strong> Because the bigger the bottle, the better the wine matures. Because it will impress everyone at the Sunday table. Because it\u2019s fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Drink sparkling wine with food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sparkling wines are not properly understood in Greece. Drink them with your meal, and they will pleasantly surprise you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Forget about rules for white and red.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whites can age and reds can be drunk chilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9. Give it a second chance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve tried a wine that you didn\u2019t like, try it again another time. Wines change, and so do the people who produce them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10. Don\u2019t keep wines for special occasions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Create such moments for yourself. As the French say, life is too short to drink bad wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore, take risks, taste. It\u2019s wine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Giannis Pappas Thanks to my everyday involvement with the world of wine, I have come to realise that for the average consumer, wine seems quite impenetrable. And so I have been given the opportunity, through the Strofilia blog, to express some thoughts that could be useful to those who love wine, but also to those who are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-blogging-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
The wonder boy @MrVertigo<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"