Afianes Icarus

Whadda do when a trusted bartender friend says “OMG YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!” ? well, obv, you try it! Especially when it comes in a gorgeous glass and looks stunningly garnet! And that is how I first came to try Afianes wines and let me tell you, it was soooo good that I was hooked! Quite literally, I booked a ticket to Greece the next day and set out to meet this person who created this magical wine. Turns out it is a family and they are indeed magical - like the kind of magical that makes you wonder if you’ve died and gone to heaven and is this real anyway? Ya know what I mean?! 

Gosh the stories I could tell you about the place!! The island of Ikaria is listed as one of the Secrets of the Blue Zone places and while I would like to think that simply drinking the wine is the magic pill, my gut says it is all the things that go into living on a small island in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Literally I wept from the sheer beauty and love that I experienced from this amazing family each day - it was and remains stunning!

We’ve talked about this family and wines before so forgive me if you’re bored already! Thing is that when I opened a bottle of Icarus the other day, I was blown away AGAIN and since there are a few bottles left, I wanted to share with you. 

First mentioned in the 15th century, Fokiano is also an indigenous Greek varietal - known as or related to the renowned Pramnios Wine. It is a grape known for long aging! 

Icarus is 100% Fokiano grown in sandy clay soil created from decomposed granite rock with low pH and high concentration in minerals and micronutrients at 450-meters (almost 1500 feet). This version is a more traditional red winemaking process in stainless steel containers. The juice is then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered & unfined; without any addition of sulfur.

Rich & warm dark red fruits with silky tannins; flavors of wild cherry, black mulberry and hints of pepper dancing along the tongue. Soft & long-lasting aftertaste with a definite spice showing up! Decant - do not use on of the aerators and for goodness sake, please do not use a Coravin! This wine wants to breathe a little and change along with you!

Drink it alongside simply grilled salmon or a med-rare steak that has only salt & pepper -  maybe some potatoes and a green salad.