Greece continued to affirm its status as a mainstream UK player at this week’s Wines of Greece tasting, where momentum continued to build for a category increasingly defined by its indigenous offer and cross-channel appeal.
Once a firm fixture of the ‘emerging regions’ category, Greece has enjoyed a momentous turnaround in terms of importer backing and consumer buy-in over the past few years. UK sales are on the rise, with the likes of Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek, Amathus Drinks and Keeling Andrew (among others) all helping to fly the flag for the country’s wines and ensure that Greece finally has its UK wine moment.
This momentum was on show at Tuesday’s (28 April) tasting, where more than 300 trade attendees gathered at St John’s Church in Waterloo to sample across 185 wines from 36 producers.
Of course, Assyrtiko has been responsible for much of Greece’s recent success. Its naturally high acidity, mineral profile and food-friendly style has helped to reposition Greek white wine in the premium conversation, with that success transferring from the on-trade to indies and increasingly the multiples.
However, beyond that gateway drug lies plenty more to hook in consumers.
As Sofia Perpera, marketing and communications director at the Greek Wine Federation, says: “There’s been a long journey to get here, but what we’re seeing now is amazing. Important importers and wholesalers, without any connection to Greece, are recognising the quality and potential and are starting to work with Greek wineries.”
Perpera went on to highlight early efforts to introduce Greek wine to the UK, in particular the work of former Oddbins buyer Steve Daniel during the 1990s, as evidence of how far the category has come.
“Daniels was a bit ahead of his time,” she said. “That momentum didn’t continue as we were hoping back then, as Greek wine wasn’t yet stable enough in the market. Now, we’re in a very different place.”
That place looks certainly different to five years ago. The category’s exports to the UK have shown consistent year-on-year growth between 2020 and 2025, from just under €3m in 2020 to €7.5m in 20205. While still small compared to other countries of origin, the direction of travel is encouraging and opens the door to further consumer exploration of Greece’s 300+ indigenous grape varieties, which account for 90% of plantings.
Malagousia, for example – now widely planted alongside Assyrtiko – is gaining traction for its aromatic profile, while Xinomavro continues to build a reputation as a structured, age-worthy red.
“We realised long ago that our main strength is our indigenous grapes,” said Perpera.
Other well-established grapes include Moschofilero and Agiorgitiko, both of which featured prominently at the tasting and continue to offer strong retail potential across price points.
The tasting also highlighted the depth of Greece’s vinous landscape and significant regional diversity.
Among the most up-and-coming varieties are Mavrodaphne from the Peloponnese and Ionian Islands, Robola from Kefalonia, Savatiano from Attica, and Vidiano and Liatiko from Crete. Limniona from Thessaly, Roditis from Achaia and northern Greece, and Kydonitsa from Laconia are also gaining visibility, reflecting a broader push to showcase Greece’s lesser-known grapes.
A shift towards premiumisation within the category is also noticeable, particularly among smaller, terroir-driven producers. Larger players such as Cavino and Boutari are working to balance scale with accessibility, helping to broaden the category’s appeal. Meanwhile, smaller estates are focusing on elevating perceptions of quality via site-specific bottlings, organic/biodynamic practices and limited-production wines.
From here, education remains central to unlocking further potential. On the two masterclasses held on Tuesday, which focused on the ‘new classics’ of northern Greece, Perpera explained: “We pay a lot of attention to education. Greece may be a small country, but the diversity is huge and each region has its own identity. The trade needs to understand that in order to communicate it to consumers.”
