Kouros Patras

Bill Dowd photo

Greek wines don't immediately spring to my mind three-quarters of the year. But, when we get to the salad and grilled fish season, ahh, that's different. Here's a budget-conscious selection.

• 2006 Kouros Patras

My favorite Greek white wine has always been Kretikos, from the island of Crete which produces 20% of Greece's wine. Before it became more popular, I usually had to content myself with getting a crisp, chilled bottle in some place like Tarpon Springs, a Greek-settled fishing town just north of St. Petersburg, FL.

The blend of 70% Vilana and 30% other indigenous white grape varieties such as Thrapsathiri and Athiri was the perfect summer wine.

The 2006 Patras from the Kouros winery isn't quite in that class, but it's a perfectly serviceable expression of the rhoditis grape that grows in abundance in the Peloponnesian foothills of southern Greece.

Petras is a characteristic dry white, with a rich yellow color with green tints. Elements of lemon and apple immediately hit the palate. There's a brief but soft, rounded finish that makes this wine hold up to lightly-sauced poultry and seafood dishes.

Suggested retail price: About $10 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Wine Notebook.