Name: Hill Athens Restaurants Greek Wine Tasting With Sommelier Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 0.75 cups Roditis (dry white); 0.75 cups Limnio (medium-bodied red); 0.75 cups Kidonitsa (aromatic white/rosé); 0.5 cups Muscat (aromatic sweet or off-dry); 0.75 cups Mandilaras (light red/rosé); 1 cups Greek olives (mixed Kalamata + green); 6 oz Aged Kasseri or Graviera cheese, sliced; 4 oz Feta, firm cubes; 4 oz Cured lamb or pork sausage (loukaniko) or salami, thin-sliced; 0.5 cups Fresh cucumber, sliced; 1 cups Heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved; 12 slices Toasted country bread or sourdough slices; 0.75 cups Tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber dip); 0.5 cups Olive tapenade; 2 tbs Honey (for drizzling over cheese); 2 tbs Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbs Fresh oregano or thyme (for garnish); 5 to taste Wine glasses (one per sample per guest); 1 to taste Spit buckets / small waste bowls; 1 to taste Tasting sheets and pens; 3 cups Room temperature water and water glasses; 12 pieces Plain crackers (neutral palate cleansers)

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Join one of the nation’s top sommeliers in a spectacular location just below the Acropolis hill with spectacular Parthenon views to discover the art of Greek wine. You’ll focus on rare wines and grapes from local wineries, such as Roditis, Limnio, Kidonitsa, Muscat, and Mandilaras, and get to sample nibbles alongside it too.

Choose five representative bottles or small pours (Roditis, Limnio, Kidonitsa, Muscat, Mandilaras). Chill the white/rosé/aromatic bottles (Roditis, Kidonitsa, Muscat) to 50–55°F (10–13°C) and serve reds (Limnio, Mandilaras) slightly cooler than room temperature 60–65°F (15–18°C). Allow heavier or oak-aged wines to sit in the glass for 5–10 minutes to open.

Selection & Preparation

Pour 60–90 ml (about 0.75 cups) per wine into separate glasses. Present the wines in a progression from lightest to richest/aromatic: Roditis (fresh white) → Kidonitsa (aromatic white/rosé) → Muscat (aromatic sweet/off-dry) → Mandilaras (light red/rosé) → Limnio (medium-bodied red). Explain tasting order to guests and recommend smelling before sipping.

Pouring & Order

Guide guests to evaluate appearance, aroma, palate, acidity, tannin (for reds), sweetness (for Muscat), and finish. Encourage note-taking on tasting sheets. Suggest small sips of water between samples and using crackers or bread to cleanse the palate if needed.

Tasting Guidance

At each wine, the sommelier should point out typical grape characteristics (e.g., Roditis: citrus, light minerality; Limnio: red fruits, spice, medium tannin; Kidonitsa: floral aromatics; Muscat: intense floral and grapey sweetness; Mandilaras: light red fruit, bright acidity). Offer food-pairing suggestions and answer questions.

Sommelier Demonstration

Arrange the toasted bread slices on a large board. Fan or stack the sliced cheeses and cured sausage nearby. Place cucumber slices and halved cherry tomatoes in small piles around the board for freshness and acidity.

Place the cup of mixed olives in a small bowl and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of oregano. Position the bowl on the board so guests can easily reach it.

Scatter the feta cubes in a shallow dish; if desired, drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over a portion to demonstrate pairing with sweeter Muscat wine.

Spoon tzatziki and olive tapenade into two small bowls. Place spoons for serving and position them near the bread and crackers. Drizzle the tapenade with a little olive oil for shine.

Garnish the cheese and board with fresh oregano or thyme sprigs for aroma and visual appeal. Provide small plates and napkins for guests.

Lay out five clean wine glasses per guest or a rotation system of clean glasses. Provide tasting sheets and pens at each place. Place spit buckets or small waste bowls within reach and ensure water glasses are filled and available.

Label each wine discreetly or provide a reveal card after initial impressions are taken (if doing a blind tasting). Ensure adequate lighting so guests can assess color against a white background (provide small white cards if needed).

Brief the guests: explain the tasting order, encourage discussion, and offer guidance on how to note acidity, body, aromatics and food pairings. Keep the pace relaxed—spend about 8–12 minutes per wine depending on group interaction.

Roditis (dry white)

Limnio (medium-bodied red)

Kidonitsa (aromatic white/rosé)

Muscat (aromatic sweet or off-dry)

Mandilaras (light red/rosé)

Greek olives (mixed Kalamata + green)

Aged Kasseri or Graviera cheese, sliced

Feta, firm cubes

Cured lamb or pork sausage (loukaniko) or salami, thin-sliced

Fresh cucumber, sliced

Heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved

Toasted country bread or sourdough slices

Tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber dip)

Olive tapenade

Honey (for drizzling over cheese)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Fresh oregano or thyme (for garnish)

Wine glasses (one per sample per guest)

Spit buckets / small waste bowls

Tasting sheets and pens

Room temperature water and water glasses

Plain crackers (neutral palate cleansers)

Greek Wine Tasting with Sommelier

Make Greek Wine Tasting With Sommelier Recipe in just 1h 15m. Join one of the nation’s top sommeliers in a spectacular location just below the Acropolis hill with spectacular Parthenon views to discover the art of Greek wine. You’ll focus on rare wines and grapes from local wineries, such as Roditis, Limnio, Kidonitsa, Muscat, and Mandilaras, and get to sample nibbles alongside it too.

Greek Wine Tasting with Sommelier

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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