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๐ŸŽฒThe Wild Card

Taverna Khione

One of America's Most Serious Greek Wine Lists

Portland ยท Portland ยท Greek ยท Visit Website โ†—

old-world-focushidden-gemdate-nightcasual-vibes

Reviewed April 7, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietySurprising Depth
MarkupSteep
GlasswareBasic Stemmed
StaffWilling but Green
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempAcceptable

First Impression

You open the wine list at a cozy little Greek taverna in Portland, Maine and suddenly you're staring at one of the most ambitious all-Greek wine programs in the entire country. It's a lot to take in โ€” in the best possible way. This is not a list that happened by accident.

Selection Deep Dive

The depth here is genuinely rare: Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko from Santorini, Ktima Gerovassiliou's Malagousia, Gaia Wines Agiorgitiko, Kir-Yianni Xinomavro โ€” these are benchmark producers representing Greece's most exciting regions and grapes. You're getting indigenous varieties that most American diners have never encountered, from producers who are actually respected back home. The white side leans into Assyrtiko and Malagousia, the reds into Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko โ€” the whole spectrum of serious Greek viticulture. The one gap: no pricing data in the public domain suggests the list may be restaurant-controlled and updated frequently, which is either exciting or exhausting depending on your relationship with uncertainty.

By the Glass

By-the-glass details aren't publicly available, which at a $$$-priced Greek specialist is a mild concern โ€” if the BTG program is thin or static, it limits access to this otherwise extraordinary list. We'd push the staff to walk you through whatever's open; even a short pour of the Sigalas Assyrtiko would be worth it.

๐Ÿ’ฐBest Value

Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia โ€” Unknown

Malagousia is an almost-extinct indigenous Greek white that Gerovassiliou essentially rescued from oblivion. Aromatic, textured, and genuinely singular โ€” if this is priced anywhere near fair, it's the move at a restaurant that clearly knows what it's doing with Greek whites.

๐Ÿ’ŽHidden Gem

Kir-Yianni Xinomavro

Xinomavro is Greece's answer to Nebbiolo โ€” high acid, firm tannins, savory as hell โ€” and most American diners walk right past it. Kir-Yianni is one of the most respected names in Naoussa. Order this with the lamb and don't look back.

โ›”Skip This

Gaia Wines Agiorgitiko

Gaia makes solid wine and Agiorgitiko from Nemea can be genuinely compelling, but it's also the most internationally distributed and recognizable Greek red on this list. At a restaurant built around discovery, defaulting to the familiar pick feels like buying a souvenir at the airport. Go deeper.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธPerfect Pairing

Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko + Grilled Whole Fish

Santorini Assyrtiko is basically engineered for this โ€” volcanic minerality, laser acidity, citrus-driven and bone dry. It cuts through the char and fat of a grilled whole fish the way nothing else on this list does. It's the obvious call and it's obvious for good reason.

๐ŸŽฒ The Bottom Line

If you care at all about Greek wine โ€” or you've been curious but never had a real on-ramp โ€” Taverna Khione is one of a handful of places in the U.S. where you can actually explore it properly. The pricing may sting a little, but the list itself is the draw.

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