Not so long ago Greek wines were ... well, all Greek to me. Ice-cold retsina and flabby old cologne-scented whites and the odd earthy Greek red were just about downable on holiday, but back home, forget it. A decade or so ago Oddbins and others peddled Greece as the next big thing, but few swallowed the hot, quirky, aggressive flavours of the country’s wines. Since then Greece and its new generation of oenology-trained winemakers have moved mountains. As new technology beds in and more Greek wines are sold in bottle, not barrel, standards have risen and British merchants now stock them.

Greece will always be a hot, arid, mountainous wine-producing country with insufficient water, but more and more producers are planting vineyards at higher, cooler altitudes, with impressive results. In an increasingly commercial and bland wine-dominated age, Greek gold comes in the form of more than 300 ancient, indigenous grape varieties that ampelographers still have to get to grips with. International grapes such as chardonnay, sauvignon, merlot and syrah do lift standard blends, but it would be a Greek tragedy if imported upstarts such as these pushed out traditional but now cleanly vinified Greek grapes.

Judge for yourself with the delicious, smoky, minerally volcanic 2008 Santorini White, made by the Greek maestro Hatzidakis from the assyrtiko grape and others, £9.99 at Waitrose. Spend £16.75 at Les Caves de Pyrène (01483 554750) and the very special organic 2007 Cuvée 15 Santorini Assyrtiko, with lots more smoky, stony, yet lively nutty fruit, is yours. The agiorgitiko grape, grown in the region of Nemea, is a good introduction to Greek reds and Berry Bros’ 2004 Dorkas Spiropoulos (0800-2802440, £7.15) delivers lively, spicy, curranty fruit. Don’t forget a truly great Samos Muscat, the 2008 Grand Cru (Selfridges, £8.50), which oozes suprisingly elegant, floral fruit.

THIS WEEK’S BEST BUYS

2008 Grand Heron, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, France Majestic, two for £4.99 each until October 29 An old Gascon friend with floral, ugni blanc-based fruit.

2007 Domaine Les Yeuses, Syrah Les Épices, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France Majestic £8.99, or two for £6.99 each until October 29 A bold, inky, spicy, red with lots of meaty, earthy fruit.

2008 Pujalet, Vin de Pays du Gers, France Waitrose £4.99 Another juicy colombard and ugni blanc, this time from Gers and bristling with zesty, lemon and lime fruit.

2008 Mont Gras Carmenère Reserva, Colchagua Valley, Chile Waitrose £7.99 Aged in American and French oak but with lots of dusky, raspberry spice.

THE KEEPER

2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese, Saar, Von Hövel, Germany, Tanners, 01743 234455, £11.80 I have a big soft spot for the tongue-tingling slate and steel rieslings of the Mosel river’s tributary, the Saar, which are as majestic as this grape gets. Factor in a great German vintage such as 2007 and superior late-harvest spätlese-level quality and you can expect a truly great white wine whose grapey, floral, off-dry white nettle spice makes an elegant winter apéritif.

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