Greece’s Assyrtiko wine usually has a full-bodied, acidic flavor with refreshing aromas

Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop discusses wine by the grape variety Assyrtiko.

October 22, 2010

When most people think of Greek wines—that is, if they ever think about Greek wines—they think retsina. Sadly, it’s been nicknamed alcoholic Pine-Sol since it was first created with pine resin to help boost the shelf life 2,000 years ago. This hasn’t been so great for the rest of Greek wines, especially the non-piney, non-sucky ones.

On Santorini, one of the Cyclades islands and a hot tourist magnet, Assyrtiko grapes grow all over, creating some of Greece’s best white wine. People might not notice the grapes with all those distracting black sand beaches and deep-blue waters. The grapevines were hiding somewhere behind the amazing white sugar cube-shaped architecture built into the cliffs.

It’s pretty incredible that Santorini can produce wine, especially since it experienced a volcanic eruption around 1500 B.C., leaving the island all ripped apart. Because of the little rainfall, big winds, and sunny skies, Santorini vintners have been forced to grow the Assyrtiko grapes a certain way. To protect them from the tough natural conditions, the plants are pruned low to the ground in a basket shape, where the protected grapes grow at the center. This means no nifty machine can swing by and pick them all in one clean sweep during harvest season—they have to be hand-plucked.

Assyrtiko wine usually has a full-bodied, acidic flavor with refreshing aromas, and pairs well with seafood. The island’s salty air and natural volcanic soil (made of pumice and lava bits) infuses it with a nice, crisp minerality. About ninety-percent of Santorini’s wine-making comes from the Assyrtiko grape, and as it becomes more popular internationally, wineries on mainland Greece have started planting it too, adding Assyrtiko to blends to give them a nice acidic oomph.

Source:http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/07/assyrtiko-wine-from-santorini-greece-sigalas-grapes.html

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation.  This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila.  Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

This wine shop in Angeles Clark Philippines is also renowned for a very unique product called Vintage Beer which many characterize as “Champagne beer” because it comes in a bottle with a Champagne stopper and metal restrainer.  Vintage beers are top-of-the-line luxury beers bottle-conditioned for a slow fermentation to take place inside the bottle, a process that is very similar to Champagne which is designed to not only create the bubbles but also for an amazing complexity and depth of flavors.

For fans of Port and Sauternes, this wine shop in Clark Pampanga has a large selection of vintage port, Sauternes and Barsac as well as Eiswein/Icewine from Austria and Germany.  Likewise, there is a good selection of Vintage Champagne at the wine shoppers’ disposal in the cellars of this wine shop in Clark Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building

Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,

Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars

Manila Sales Office

3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,

Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

(632) 637-5019   0917-520-4393  ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.  Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.