Red grape variety
Agiorgitiko
Greece’s most planted red variety: deeply coloured, soft-tannined and generous, from Nemea in the Peloponnese.
What is Agiorgitiko?
Agiorgitiko is much more approachable than Xinomavro — deep in colour, soft in tannin and generous in fruit, with a distinctive sweet-spice note.
Altitude in Nemea varies from around 250 m to over 800 m, and higher sites produce noticeably fresher, more structured wines.
The Peloponnese, Greece. The name means "St George’s grape".
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 102 under the prime name AGIORGITIKO, with berry skin colour noir and country of origin greece. Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Agiorgitiko, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low | Consistent | |
| Acidity | medium | Some variation | |
| Tannin | medium | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | medium | Highly variable | |
| Savoury character | medium | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | medium | Some variation | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium-plus | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Where it grows
- Nemea — Greece
- Peloponnese — Greece
If you like Agiorgitiko, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Merlot
Comparable softness, plummy fruit and approachability.
Less herbal and more chocolatey.
Nemea Agiorgitiko
Both are made from agiorgitiko, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Sangiovese
A neighbouring Mediterranean red with more grip.
Higher acidity and firmer tannin.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Dolcetto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less spicy, and less oaky.
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less oaky, and fresher.
Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less spicy, and earthier.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less oaky, and lighter.
Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be less spicy, and earthier.
Pinot Noir
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be earthier, and more floral.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Argentine Malbec
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more floral, and fruitier.
McLaren Vale Shiraz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more tannic and structured, and stronger and warmer.
Barossa Shiraz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and more tannic and structured.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Grilled chicken
Works because ripe fruit balances the bitterness of char and smoke.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Pork chops
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
Roast chicken
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
Pork
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
How to serve it
Temperature
15–17°C
59–63°F · Cellar cool
Most modern rooms are warmer than this. Twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge before serving usually gets a red into range.
Decanting
Optional — it will not hurt, and may help a little
Dense, full-bodied wines tend to open up and show more aroma after time in a decanter.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
Most Nemea Agiorgitiko is best within five years, made soft and generously fruited. Bottlings from the higher vineyards above 600 metres have the acidity and tannin to hold ten years or more, and the difference between the valley floor and the hills is larger here than the single appellation name suggests.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Wines of Greece — Greek Wine Federation