A high and not-so-dry search for unusual grapes landed InterWined at a shop called The Sampler, where for a small price, one can sample the wine before purchasing. InterWined opted out of this option when coming across a Greek wine made from a blend of Xinomavro and Negosca grapes. The wine retailed for nearly £8, snug between the £5 and £10 range InterWined samples and reviews.

If a wine is not worth recommending, InterWined does not apply a rating. Further, in order to stay 100% positive, InterWined won’t mention the name, as in this case. But the wine was remarkable in this aspect: it tasted so much like wine.

Huh? Exactly.

While Xinomavro is a versatile and ubiquitous Greek grape, little is known of Negosca. And after trying the wine, nothing more about Negosca can be revealed. And now comes InterWined’s concern: A wine from Greece, made from two indigenous varietals (not French — no Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, etc.) that balances its taste with hints of vanilla, plump blackberry, and full French oak? Read this tasting note before?

Except for some violet in the nose, this wine could be any other wine from anywhere else on the wine-making planet.

Such a wine, surely, should be sold on the basis that it is so different. But instead, this ‘everywine’ formulae discourages experimentation, which is what the InterWined comment forums are all about. Honestly, isn’t the wine world dull enough as it stands?

A simple Web search would undoubtedly reveal the identity of the wine, but please — really — don’t bother. The search continues for fascinating wines, with unusual grapes on InterWined.com…

New World/Old World-style Greek wine: No rating.

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