The character

Agiorgitiko (literally ‘St. George’s grape’) is the most planted red grape in Greece and the dominant variety of the Nemea appellation in the Peloponnese — one of the largest wine regions in the country. The grape produces rounder, softer, more immediately approachable reds than Xinomavro, with notes of black cherry, plum, sweet spice, and chocolate. Top examples from higher-elevation Nemea sites show much more concentration and aging potential.

Where it grows best

Nemea, Peloponnese, Greece: PDO Nemea is the reference appellation, with sub-zones ranging from low-altitude valleys (warmer, riper, fruit-forward) to high-altitude hills (cooler, fresher, more structured). Smaller plantings throughout the Peloponnese and other parts of Greece. Almost no commercial plantings outside Greece.

How it tastes

Black cherry, plum, raspberry, sweet baking spice, cocoa, dried herbs, sometimes a leather-and-tobacco note in older examples. Tannin is moderate; acid is moderate to bright; alcohol typically 13-14%. The wines are immediately approachable and food-flexible — Agiorgitiko is the great everyday serious red of Greek wine.

How it ages

Top Nemea Reserves (Skouras Megas Oenos, Gaia Estate Agiorgitiko, Papaioannou, Driopi) age fifteen to twenty-five years and develop a savory, leather-and-spice tertiary complexity. The high-altitude Nemea sites in particular produce wines with serious aging potential.

What to pair with

Greek slow-cooked beef and lamb dishes. Roast lamb. Moussaka. Pastitsio. Aged Greek cheeses (graviera, kefalotyri). Mushroom dishes. Game birds. Agiorgitiko handles a wider range of food than most Greek reds thanks to its softer tannin and ripe fruit.