Chris BerryFounder, Wine Underdogs — chasing the world’s overlooked grapesIf Xinomavro is the austere, Barolo-like side of Greece, Agiorgitiko is the charmer. Greece's most-planted red grape — "St. George" in English — gives deep color, soft round tannins, and a mouthful of red cherry, plum, and sweet baking spice, all kept honest by fresh acidity. Its heartland is Nemea, in the Peloponnese, where the wines range from juicy everyday reds to serious, age-worthy old-vine bottlings. It's one of the easiest underdogs to love, and one of the best values on any shelf.
(Prices are approximate US retail and shift with vintage and store — treat them as a guide.)
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1. Domaine Skouras — "Saint George" Agiorgitiko · ~$20
The gateway, and a ridiculous value: supple, juicy, perfumed red fruit with no rough edges. The bottle to hand anyone who thinks they don't know Greek wine. Find this bottle →
2. Troupis Winery — "Fteri" Agiorgitiko · ~$24
A high-altitude, fresher take — brighter acidity and a lighter, more lifted feel. Agiorgitiko for the Pinot crowd. Find this bottle →
3. Gai'a — Agiorgitiko · ~$26
From one of Greece's boundary-pushers (Yiannis Paraskevopoulos): polished, expressive, and a perennial critics' darling. The "show a skeptic what the grape can do" pick. Find this bottle →
4. Palivou Vineyards — Nemea · ~$30
A classic Nemea estate bottling — rounder and riper, with darker plummy fruit and a little more grip. Textbook Agiorgitiko. Find this bottle →
5. Semeli — Nemea Reserve · ~$37
The step-up: oak-aged, denser, and built to develop — proof that Agiorgitiko can be serious without losing its charm. Find this bottle →
How to choose
Want the best value? Skouras Saint George. Want fresh and lifted? Troupis Fteri. Want polish? Gai'a. Want classic, riper Nemea? Palivou. Want something to cellar? Semeli Reserve. Any of them gives a Merlot or Sangiovese drinker something plush and familiar — for less, and with a far better story. Want the whole shelf? Browse every Agiorgitiko on Wine.com.
Want the full story? Read the Agiorgitiko deep dive, or grab the Underdog Starter List. And for the glasses and tools to drink them right, see The Shelf.