Episode 275 of I’ll Drink to That has been released, and features Yiannis Paraskevopoulos of Gaia Wines, an estate that produces wines from both Santorini and Nemea in Greece.
This interview is, remarkably, a conversation about Greece that does focus on the debt crisis there, but also on another kind of revolution in Greece, the one that has happened in winemaking. If someone were wanting a foothold to learn more about Greek wine, this is an excellent one to start with. Yiannis is very articulate, and has both a solid academic foundation (he is a Professor of Enology at the University of Athens) and a ton of on-the-ground practical experience in a period of time when a lot has been happening within the Greek wine industry. He makes wine in two very different regions, Nemea and Santorini, and he works with two very different grape varieties, Agiorgitiko and Assyrtiko. He gives an excellent snapshot of these regions and grape varieties in the interview. Really this is somebody who had a hand in creating profound change within a country’s wine industry telling you exactly how he did it and what he saw along the way.
As part of this episode, Erin Scala’s Warm Up provides a backgrounder on the wines of Santorini.
Listen to the stream above, or check it out in iTunes.
I’ll Drink to That is the world’s leading wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @levi_opens_wine