Greek, Dry and Sweet

Hurricane Sandy's wrath relocated me from power-poor downtown to the Upper East Side.  Air mattress and significant other in tow, we hunkered down at our friends' apartment for a few days until lights and heat were restored.  Four people for one bathroom can definitely be a challenge and we wanted to thank them for their generous hospitality, so we took them to dinner at Yefsi, a Greek restaurant near their place.

I think Greek wines are highly underrated. There are some really great winemakers out there creating some very interesting dry wines, not to mention the caliber of dessert wines that are produced.  Excited to share this region with friends, we opted for an Argyros Assyrtiko Atlantis 2011.   Notes of lemon, lime, pineapple and mineral aromas swirled around in the glass.  With the first sip, this dry white brought the same flavors to the palate, while the high acidity felt crisp and tingly on the tongue.  Medium bodied, the wine held up to the food but was still easy to sip in between courses.

Empty bottles, empty plates.  We were getting ready to pay the bill when the hostess brought over a surprise treat - four glasses of Samos Kourtaki dessert wine.  This Muscat delighted all of us, even the ones at our table who claimed an aversion to sweet wines. The full, but not syrup-y, body dripped with honey and ripe peach juices while essences of almond, vanilla and orange blossom exhibited different layers and forms of sweetness.  My inner dessert fiend, previously lamenting the lack of dessert on our order, was immediately silenced with each sip.

Completely satiated, we headed out into the (well-lit) night, grateful for our wonderful friends and everyone's well-being.