Greek wines continue to see growth amid rising exports, international accolades and a shift towards quality vintages that are gaining a following among discerning foreign buyers.

Last year, Greek wines witnessed a significant increase in exports compared with pre-pandemic levels. That included a dramatic rise in exports to the main markets of Europe – such as an almost 100% increase to the UK – to North America, where exports rose 10% to the U.S. and 20% to Canada, and in Asia. The growth in export volumes was matched by an increase in the average selling price per liter, reflecting growing consumer demand for fine Greek wines.

With Greece’s wide variety of terroirs and distinctive native varietals, Greek wines have gained increasing international recognition for their high quality and unique accents. Four Greek wineries are included in the latest list of the world’s top wineries by Wine & Spirits Magazine, and have featured favorably in recent reviews by leading media like the New York Times.

“Greek wine is increasingly recognized abroad for its good quality, innovation and of course for the 300 indigenous grape varieties that characterize it, a fact that attracts the interest of large international buyers, who promote Greek products to the global consumer public,” said Betty Alexandropoulou, Executive Director and member of the Board of Directors of Enterprise Greece.

Greece’s wine industry has been undergoing a transformation. Greek winemakers are increasingly reaching out to international markets, while the sector has seen the entry of hundreds of new vintners over the last decade.

At this month’s ProWein 2022 exhibition in Düsseldorf, the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits, 58 Greek wine and spirit producers took part, more than double the participation of 10 years ago. Over the same period, the number of winemakers in Greece has also more than doubled, to more than 1,500 last year compared with less than 700 in 2010.