Join us for the first SWS tasting of the new season - 

The Revival of Greek Wines – an Odyssey, presented by Lance Foyster MW -

on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 7pm, at the offices of Freshfields, 100 Bishopsgate, London EC2P 2SR

With a history of wine production dating back nearly 6,500 years, Greece has one of the oldest wine cultures in the world. Wine was important in ancient Greek culture, being associated with the god Dionysus, whose domain included wine, festivity and theatre. Greek wine culture in turn influenced Roman wine culture, which subsequently spread across Europe and Greek winemaking traditions are believed to underpin much of modern wine culture.

In the 1970s, a revival of Greek wines commenced, accelerating in the 2000s. With strikingly limited influence from the rest of the world, the Greek wine industry has been rapidly modernising, with investments in neglected vineyards and modern winemaking equipment, while at the same time retaining its focus on local grape varieties. Some of the local Greek wine varietals cultivated today are the same as or very similar to those cultivated in ancient times and enjoyed at Dionysian bacchanalia.

Assyrtiko was among the first Greek grapes to establish an international reputation and it has been followed by Malagouzia, another dry white grape. Now, however, there is an abundance of both white and red grapes on the Greek wine scene. In addition to the firm, dry, rich but austere whites made from Assyrtiko and the aromatic whites made from Malagouzia, there are fruity reds from Agiorgitiko in the Peloponnese, juicy, herbal, pinot-esque reds from Limniona in Thessaly and richer reds from the Xinomavro grape in Naoussa in Northern Greece.

We are very fortunate to have Lance Foyster MW presenting this tasting. Lance and his wife Isabelle both studied the history, culture and literature of ancient Greece at university but only added Greece to their portfolio in 2013 following a trip to Greece for MWs, during which they were astonished by how many ambitious young winemakers and good wines they found. They started their Greek portfolio with wines from Santorini and have now built an impressive range that covers a number the many different styles of Greek wines and produces. They regularly visit Greece and therefore have unparalleled knowledge of the wines we will be tasting. 

The eight wines to be tasted are:

Kostaki Winery Dry (Muscat) 2023 – Samos; Zafeirakis Malagouzia 2024 - Thessaly;

Argyros Cuvée Palatia (Asssyrtiko) 2023 – Santorini; Strofilia August Red Agiorgitiko 2022 - Nemea;

Zafeirakis Limniona 2021 – Thessaly; Karydas 2020 – Naoussa;

Foundi Xinomavro 2005 – Naoussa; Vinsanto First Release 2016 – Santorini

Tickets for this tasting are priced at £45 for members and £50 for guests.  Please order and pay for tickets via your SWS online membership account.  If you are using the Society's website to purchase tickets for the first time, you are encouraged to register so as to make future ticket purchases even easier.

The Society operates an open seating policy at tastings, so if you are coming as a group, please arrive early to ensure you are able to sit together. If you have any questions, please contact the organiser, Katie Cameron, on katiecameron4@hotmail.com.

If you are using the Society's website to purchase tickets for the first time, you are encouraged to register in order to make future ticket purchases even easier.