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Greek wine makes a splash as Maltby & Greek goes solo

Maltby & Greek, purveyors of both food and wine from the region, decided to take the plunge and hold their first ever standalone tasting on Monday (16 January).

The event marks ten years since founders Yannos Hadjiioannou and Stefanos Kokotos started out with their stall of the same name at Bermondsey’s Maltby Street Market, after throwing in their lot with each other and combining two similar Greek wine-focused ventures.

Today, the company sells wines across the on and off-trades; and after several years flirting with the London Wine Fair’s Esoterica zone and The Dirty Dozen, felt finally empowered to launch a solo tasting.

Indigenous varieties, of course, stood front and centre: Assyrtiko’s presence was widely felt, alongside Xinomavro and the less widely known Vidiano and the once “much maligned”, Savatiano.

Previously, the latter was “dismissed as just a base wine for retsina”, Hadjiioannou told Harpers. “But with controlled yields, it can make really fresh, fruity and herbaceous wine in a Hunter Valley Semillon style.”

“Greek wine has come a long way in the last ten years. In 2012, people were still joking that Greek wine is retsina. There are still only about 10 purely Greek restaurants in London, so the majority of our customers are non-Greek specialists, which shows you how much things have changed,” he added.

Plentiful variations of Assyrtiko were on show. Of its many blending partners, Aidani, indigenous to Santorini, stood out for adding “volume”, according one winery rep, while Athiri, “floral and aromatic” helps to round off Assyrtiko’s biting acidity.

There were some international varieties present too, including single varietal Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

The enduring need for these touchstones on lists was highlight by Jenny Pagoni, owner of Greek restaurant, Ampeli London. She told Harpers she only lists international varieties as blends, but only at the very end of the menu.

“We call them ‘hand-breakers’, for those who are searching the list for something they recognise,” she said.

Hammering home the point, Konstantinos Arvanitakis, export manager for Alpha Estate, the third largest vineyard owner in Greece, said “We’re not selling ‘Greek’ wines. [To the consumer] We’re selling something ‘different’. Education still plays a huge part.”

Still, Pagoni maintains that most of the people coming to her restaurant are not only aware of – and pulled in – by the delicious food offer, with memories of olives and Souvlaki being enjoyed by the Aegean, but by the wine, which remains an equally powerful draw.

There is much to unpack about Maltby & Greek’s journey. To discover more, refer to Harpers’ upcoming February issue.

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