In his roundup of value in Greek wine for 2011, top Greek wine blogger Markus Stolz, author of Elloinos, picked Boutari’s 2007 Naoussa as his NUMBER ONE wine.

Here’s what Markus had to say about this bottling, a great vintage from one of the most collectible appellations in Europe today:

If I had to pick just one Greek wine as the red hot value of the year, this would be it. Refinement and balance best describe the wine. It is quite frankly a steal, and given its wide availability, this should be marketed as a showcase for Greek wines. I have no doubt that this can be cellared for many years to come, an outstanding effort.

Click here for the rest of Markus’ picks…

#ff @MariaKaramitsos @DelphiGreek @BuyGreek @KaritasM @vintuition @deanandbek @petereconomides @branjo67 @GeorgieProut

Today’s post is a shout-out to one of our favorite Greek restaurants in the U.S., Delphi Greek in Westwood (Los Angeles, California).

It’s not one of our favorites just because the food is delicious and very reasonably priced.

It’s not one of our favorites just because the wine list is a veritable temple to Boutari.

It’s not one of our favorites just because the owner searches all over the world to complete his “library” of Boutari wines.

No, it’s because the simpatico owner Roozbeh Farahanipour is an Iranian freedom fighter who uses his office at the restaurant as his headquarters in his virtual campaign to fight for the Iranian people’s freedom. Roozbeh is one of the nicest people in the business that we know and it’s remarkable to think that he’s been imprisoned in Iran, he’s been tortured, and that every day he continues to serve up great Greek cuisine with a smile for the many UCLA students who live in his neighborhood.

From the Wine Spiral Project…

Fitting with the quaint white structures of Santorini’s cliffsides, this winery in Megalohori, Greece includes an administration area, an exhibition and sales building and “Tholos,” the domed structure pictured above. Tastings and audio-visual presentations happen inside, but the real treat is outside, with the contrast of the buildings against the greens and blues of the island. Designed by Yannos Yanniotis.

Click here to read the rest of the list…