Call it power of suggestion, but you can really taste the salty seaside tang in this seriously refreshing Greek white wine. Assyrtiko has this magical ability to be taut, lively, and refreshing, yet with layers of lemon pith and orange too. That bracing acidity keeps everything in check as well, and a little skin contact stirs in a light nutty punch on the finish. Oh yes, there's plenty going on in this textured white.

As you fly into the hectic Athens airport, a patchwork of vineyards sits between the runway and the sea. Here, not far from the Temple of Artemis, where the God of wine Dionysus roamed, lies one of Greece's most famed wine producers - Papagiannakos. With a history that dates back to 1919, Papagiannakos is a Greek legend, still family-run and proudly championing local grapes. That's what makes this estate special - so often in wine, you can see producers trying to do the same old thing with the same old grapes. But here, with the sparkling Aegean Sea as a backdrop, the heroes are old-school Greek varieties like Savatiano, Assyrtiko & Agiorgitiko. You know, wines that no one can pronounce and taste so unique that they feel like a holiday. You can almost taste the ocean in every drop, too, with the minerally feel of the Papagiannakos wines coming thanks to ancient vines and a winemaking tradition that goes back millennia.