Wine tasting in Sapphic stanza

„The island of Lesbos is known for a variety of reasons, although, wine has never been one of them. While guidebooks frequently mention Lesbos for its extraordinarily rich cultural heritage (and the ouzo), nowadays, the island is in the media spotlight due to the army of refugees swarming over from Turkish shores. Though, no doubt, Lesbos also deserves the attention of the international wine market, for it produces some exceptional wines with intriguing stories behind them. There are two well-known wineries on the island.

The first is Oinoforos, which is located near Mitilini, the capital city of Lesbos. They make wines out of less well-known, local grapes and keep their prices fairly low, so if you fancy, you can pick up a bottle in any supermarket on the island for around €6-10. The other mayor winery is Dr Yannis Lambrou’s winery, which stretches across the north-western part of Lesbos, in Chidira, a tiny secluded village amid bare mountains.

Yannis followed in his parents’ footsteps and became a winemaker. While strolling around the vineyards in the village, his parents came across a black grape variety that was on the verge of extinction. They named the grape Chidiriotiko after their village. Today, Yannis works five hectares, from which he harvests nine different varieties and produces three different types of wines each vintage: a blanc de noir, an orange wine reminiscent of the German Weißherbsts and an exciting red wine.”