85% Refosco (imported from Friuli, Italy, in the 19th century) and 15% Mavrodaphne (a native Greek grape)

Food pairings: slow-roasted lamb kleftiko (pictured above), braised beef stifado (pictured above), roast duck or goose, pan seared pheasant or quail, wild boar or duck ragu, mushroom risotto, aged cheeses

Domaine Mercouri (pictured above), located near Korakochori in the western Peloponnese, is one of Greece’s historic wine estates. Founded in 1864 by Theodoros Mercouri, the property planted its first vineyard a few years later with Refosco cuttings brought from northern Italy. By the late 19th century, its wines were already being exported to Europe, with barrels shipped from the estate’s small private bay to Trieste.

The estate modernized its winery in 1930 and, beginning in the 1980s, later generations of the family revitalized the vineyards and winemaking facilities. Today, Mercouri remains closely associated with Refosco—locally known as “Mercouri”—while also producing wines from Greek and international varieties, carrying forward more than 150 years of family winemaking tradition.