Vaimaki Family 'Popolka' Red 2019

Press 4 Red • April 2023 Direct Press Selection

Amyndeo is a name you may not have heard of before, but it is one of Greece’s most important wine regions. The appellation sits on the northwestern corner of the Macedonia region, and its continental climate and sandy soils are the perfect home for the Xinomavro variety, by far the most planted variety here. Amyndeo’s four lakes — Vegoritis, Petres, Cheimaditis and Zazari — also play a crucial role in tempering the region’s climate, allowing for a fascinating range of styles from light and mouthwatering to more structured and nuanced reds. 

We’ve featured wines from the Vaimakis family in past wine clubs, and Vasilis Vaimakis is without a doubt one of the references when it comes to fermenting wines naturally and zero sulfur vinification. His long experience in large scale wine making adds a lot of perspective to this more artisanal approach, and today, he and his wife Ekaterini continue to carry on the family’s tradition. The couple is also known for making award winning vinagre “elixirs”, infused with herbs and spices, used for finishing or served on ice as an aperitif.

“Popolka” is the local name for Xinomavro, and the fruit for this wine is sourced from cool vineyards around lake Vegoritis, the largest in the region. Ferments and rests for 5 months in stainless steel, then spends 12 months in neutral oak barrique. Medium light with a with sappy, sour cherry fruit, leather sarsaparilla, coriander, anise… I could keep going but you should look up the 23 Dr. Pepper ingredients… it totally checks!  Serve with a light chill. Bruno Sant'Anna