Lantides Winery, a Greek favorite from the Peloponnese

Panos Lantides founded the winery in 1993 after finishing his studies in Montpellier and Bordeaux, France. He started with what captivated him most, Chardonnay, but soon planted the region’s icon, Agiorgitiko. Slowly but surely, Lantides has grown to own 20 hectares and is now run by his sons Andreas and Simos. It’s a total family affair, though I’d be remiss not to mention the role of Export Manager Pavlos Charalampakis, a vibrant soul as invested as the family in the winery’s success.

We started with their top seller, a wine that had me redefine my relationship with Sauvignon Blanc—in a good way. True to its genetics as a grassy, green-peppered, golden-berried sip, it’s that characteristic Greek body that made this pleasant surprise extremely difficult to spit. It’s fresh, yet slightly thick, and despite its “entry-level” price, shows refined complexity and length. It’s easy to see why you can find this on menus all over Greece. It loves upon those fresh salads and salty cheeses.

Lantides makes five whites, five reds, and two rosé wines. By the end of my 24-hour whirlwind with them, we had tasted them all multiple times over, and not once did I get meh about it. Their wines are solid, reliable. Though made conventionally, it’s on a small-ish scale, with a production of around 200,000 bottles annually, leaving space to focus on less intervention in the cellar and organic practices among the vines.

The 2023 Cuvée is at the other end from the easy Sauvy B. A blend of 40% Agiorgitiko, 30% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, gets serious with high acidity and earthy structure. I would love to revisit this every three years for the next nine, and then in, like, 2040. (Wow, kinda weird to write out those dates…like, 14 years isn’t thaaaat much, but 2040 sounds like we’ll be living on Mars.) Black plums, spices, needs time.

Their entire range is meant for food, and food we did. For two nights in a row we sat with the Pantheon glowing in the background while fresh flavor filled our mouths. Greece knows how to food and wine as well as the best of them. So many Yamas! (Cheers!)

Yamas!

I love Athens. This was my second time around, and it was just as good as the last. Stay tuned for my guide to their Greek wine scene later this week! I’ll even recommend a beach and museum to round things out.

A huge thanks to Cava Oinos for inviting me on one of the greatest wine journeys of my life. They showed me a week of Greek love that I could never fully nor properly articulate. So far, any wine that I’ve experienced in their ample portfolio is worth a taste.

And also, what a great reminder that while the islands are amazing—after all, I wrote Milos is a Dream—the mainland is its own whole thing. Nemea, North Macedonia…there is so much to experience in the Cradle of Western Civilization, the Land of the Gods, Hella, and eternal sunshine…

Greece is in a good moment. You should go.