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Greek wines, overshadowed by the renowned wines of France and the rest of Europe, are just now being discovered and appreciated by connoisseurs - and the rest of us! The land that revered gods of wine such as Dionysus and Bacchus is keeping the tradition of winemaking alive. The wine industry is expanding and Greek wines are winning distinguished awards. Small wineries dedicated to quality are springing up where a combination of unique viticulture methods and the famous Greek sunlight merge to produce distinctive wines. In Santorini, where the strong volcanic soil seems to deliver a faint smoky taste to the local wines, grapevines are planted in small pits and encouraged to twine around in a basket shape. This preserves the scant moisture and protects the vines from the omnipresent winds scouring the surface of Santorini.

Many of the grapes grown in the Pelopponese and on Crete are still ungrafted varieties. In some cases, wineries have sprung up around natural old-patch vines. Most vineyards are in the mountains, or, in the case of Santorini, on top of the volcanic cliffs.

One of the most famous of the Santorini vineyards, Gaia, offers a number of delicious wines, including Thalassitis, a wine inspired by the ancient Greek wines that were mixed with a little seawater.

Many wineries don't export their small output, so go to Greece with an open palate - much of what you sample may not be available anyplace else on earth. Be aware that most wineries do not have tasting rooms, and your best bet for trying local wines will be at the restaurants. Liquor stores will also have wines, generally at very good prices, but may not be able to tell you exactly what you want to know about a particular wine.

I have to confess that I am particularly enchanted by a wine that evokes for me ancient evenings on the Aegean, gazing out over the dark sea and drinking wine nearly as dark. Sporadically available outside of Greece, Mavrodaphne is a rich, dark dessert wine, similar to a port. This romantic wine has a romantic story to match. Supposedly, a German winemaker owned some vineyards in Greece, where the crop was primarily the Mavro variety of grapes. Almost against his will, he found himself falling in love with one of the grape pickers he employed, a beautiful Greek maiden named Daphne. Before he could make up his mind to tell her of his love, the girl sickened and died. Heartbroken, the vintner named his wine after the two things he most loved - the Mavro grapes, and the maiden Daphne.

I was once gifted with a case of Mavrodaphne, and in the face of this abundance I even began to use it in cooking. If you're lucky enough to obtain some, or if your habitation in Greece has cooking facilities, try this barbecue sauce. I've simplified the ingredients and provided alternatives to make it easy to reproduce - I carry soy sauce packets in my luggage, but not everyone does!

Mavrodaphne Barbecue Sauce