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Greek wines get a lot of praise from me, and I’m not going to stop any time soon. This week, the particular drum I’m beating has “moschofilero” written all over it. Yes, mos-ko-FIL-ero, because this is a grape variety to explore if you’re after a new wine that can be had for very competitive prices.
It’s an ancient grape that’s grown predominantly in the Peloponnese and on the Mantinia plateau, where the cool climate and average elevation help this delicate grape ripen. While the wines it makes are united by a steady acid, they can also range from the intensely aromatic to the clean and zesty.
So, what’s it like? I can compare it to a few things, which I always find helpful to my understanding of any grape. First, much like pinot grigio/pinot gris, moschofilero has a gorgeous, sunset-pink skin, despite it being a white grape. This means that, when the wine is left in contact with those skins, it turns a gorgeous blush pink. While such wines are marketed as rosés, technically they’re actually orange wines, because they’re produced with white grapes.
The other grape I’d compare it to is gewürztraminer, which is to say, moschofilero is also used to make intensely aromatic whites: think rose petals, blossoms, jasmine, stone fruit, et cetera, et cetera. That’s why it’s known as a chameleon grape, a description that hints at its versatility and the many styles it can be used to produce, which is just one reason modern sommeliers love it so.
Emily Acha Derrington, who helped develop the wine list for London’s smash hit Greek Oma (she’s now wine buyer at Manteca), attests to its shapeshifting qualities: “It can sit in more than one category on a restaurant list, so it’s ideal for playing around with different styles to find what works with the food you cook at home.”
As a white wine, it has an acidity that works well with herby starters and Greek-style flaky filo pastries, but when it’s pink, it goes with lighter meat dishes, such as lamby salads. Emily’s favourite, however, is when it’s turned into an orange wine with more skin contact than conventional pale rosés: “They can be quite powerful, both in terms of colour and in tannin texture, but the pithy orange aromatics balance so well with the savoury, tea-like hints and dry finish.” These are wines that work especially well with chargrilled skewers, zesty salads and dips with bread for mopping them up.
Those who buy their wine at the supermarket will be pleased to learn that a few of the big boys have at last embraced moschofilero as part of their own-label ranges (I suggest a couple below), but if you’re keen to shop independent, then may I recommend specialist retailer Maltby & Greek, which doesn’t have just moschofilero or even just Greek wines, but also olive oil, cheese, meat and breads.
Four faces of moschofilero
Loved & Found Moschofilero Rosé £9.25 Waitrose, 12.5%. A perfumed pink wine with lychee and rose notes.
Bosinakis Mantinia PDO £20 Maltby & Greek, 12.5%. A bone-dry white that’s all blossom and flint.
Other Danaon Gea Moschofilero Blend £13.99 The Wine Flyer, 12%. From a project championing under-represented grapes, this one’s blended with muscat and roditis.
Zacharias Moschofilero 2023 £10.50 The Wine Society, 12.5%. A soft and peachy iteration.
