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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Patras
Sweet fortified red wine from the Patras region, made mainly from the Mavrodafni grape and aged in barrels until it develops notes of raisins, coffee and dried fruit. It has a protected designation of origin and is the dessert wine most associated with the city.
Traditional drink from Patras, Grécia Ocidental
Also known as: Μαυροδάφνη Πατρών, Mavrodaphne de Patras, Mavrodaphne of Patras, Mavrodaphne
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Mavrodafni Patron — Patras, Greece
Mavrodafni of Patras is a sweet red wine. During fermentation, the producer adds wine spirit to the must: fermentation stops, some of the grape’s sugar remains in the wine and the alcohol level rises. Afterwards the wine spends years in wooden barrels, often exposed to some air, and takes on a brick color and aromas of raisins, dried plum, coffee and chocolate.
The Mavrodafni grape is grown in the northern Peloponnese, in Achaia, the Patras region, and on the Ionian islands. The protected designation of origin Mavrodafni Patron covers the vineyards around the city and defines the grape, the method and the minimum time in barrel. Younger versions are fruity; those aged for many years become drier in aroma and more complex.
The modern history of the wine is linked to the Bavarian Gustav Clauss, who settled in Patras in the mid-19th century and founded a winery in 1861. There are two explanations for the name. One legend says Clauss named the wine in memory of a bride called Dafni. The other explanation is the literal Greek: mavro means “black” and dafni “laurel,” and the grape may have been named for its dark color.
In Patras, the wine is served at the end of the meal, with desserts, chocolate and aged cheeses.
Patras , Grécia Ocidental
Mavrodafni has a protected designation of origin bearing the city’s name, Mavrodafni Patron, and its modern history begins with a winery founded in Patras in 1861.
Mavrodafni grape, harvested ripe. Wine spirit added during fermentation to preserve the natural sugar. Aged in wooden barrels.
In a small glass, slightly cool, at the end of the meal. Pairs with chocolate desserts, dried fruit, nuts and aged cheeses.
Dessert and after-meal wine, served year-round.
Your questions
A sweet fortified red wine, made mainly from the Mavrodafni grape in the Patras region and aged in barrels. It has a protected designation of origin and is served as a dessert wine.
There are two versions. One legend says Gustav Clauss named the wine in memory of a bride called Dafni. The other comes from Greek: mavro is “black” and dafni is “laurel,” a name that likely refers to the grape’s dark color.
With chocolate desserts, dried fruit, nuts and aged cheeses, served in a small glass and slightly cool.
Flavors of Greece
White wine flavored with Aleppo pine resin, added to the must during fermentation. The Attica Region calls it an Attica specialty, where it is made mainly with the Savatiano grape, and the name is a traditional designation reserved for wines from Greece.
Layered baked tart of thinly sliced zucchini and potato, with mizithra cheese and mint, sometimes topped with pastry. It is named for Chania, in western Crete, and is a summer dish (June to August), when zucchini are in season.
Rooster or veal slowly cooked in a tomato and wine sauce seasoned with cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg and other spices, served with thick pasta and grated cheese. It’s Corfu’s Sunday and festive dish, of Venetian heritage.
Thin slices of beef dredged in flour, browned and cooked in a light sauce of white wine or wine vinegar, with plenty of garlic, parsley and pepper. It is a Corfu dish of Venetian heritage, served with potatoes, rice or pasta.
Dry barley rusk, moistened and topped with grated tomato, fresh mizithra or feta cheese, olive oil and oregano, sometimes with olives and capers. It’s the best-known snack and light meal of Cretan cuisine.
Grape marc brandy distilled in Crete after the harvest, without anise. It has a geographical indication as Tsikoudia of Crete, is served chilled in small glasses, and accompanies Cretan hospitality from the start to the end of a meal.
Fried patties made from chopped tomato, scallion, herbs and flour, served as a snack. They are a specialty of Santorini, made with the island’s small tomato, grown without irrigation in volcanic soil.
Sweet natural white wine from Santorini, made with Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri grapes dried in the sun and aged for a long time in barrel. It ranges in color from amber to dark brown and is part of the Protected Designation of Origin Santorini.
Sweet white wine from southern the Peloponnese, made from grapes sun-dried and barrel-aged. It revives the wine that merchants shipped from Monemvasia to Europe in the Middle Ages, when the port was known by its Frankish name, Malvasia.
Mykonos onion pie, filled with onion, the island’s fresh cheese tyrovolia, eggs and dill, between two layers of pastry. It is noted as one of the island’s oldest and most traditional recipes.
Toasted sesame and honey bar with almonds, orange peel and spices, cut into diamond shapes. It is Rhodes’ sweet offered at weddings and baptisms and has a Protected Geographical Indication from the European Union.
Pomace brandy (grape marc), with or without anise, served chilled in small bottles with snacks. It has geographical indications for Thessaly and for Tyrnavos, and in Volos it gives its name to the houses where each round arrives with a meze.
Pie made with very thin pastry, open and layered, filled with semolina custard and topped with sugar and cinnamon. It is also made savory, with cheese, ground meat or spinach. In Thessaloniki it is eaten in the morning with coffee and sold in pieces cut to order.
