Paleo - Piraeus' perfect little wine bar

You're wandering around the port of Piraeus of an evening, more than likely confused after returning to the big city (cities???) after a wonderful time on a gorgeous Greek island. All around you loads of indifferent little coffee bar places vie for your business, knowing they need not impress you as they will probably never have to see you again. Off in a huff, you take a wrong turn up a dark cobbled side street full of closed or defunct commercial concerns when you see a light further up; you wander towards it and, as it's hot weather, you realise there are tables with people eating and drinking.

For anyone who has ever wandered the streets of the port of Piraeus this is an unlikely sight in an unlikely location - a bit like an oasis. Yet as you come nearer you realise this is no backstreet taverna, frying the dickens out of everything it can lay its hands on and serving jug wine in squat little glasses, but a serious establishment that respects wine. A wooden sign above the door says Paleo, and if you are a wine lover you have stumbled upon a little bit of paradise.

Yannis Kaymenakis opened this place in the middle of the financial meltdown that has been tormenting Greece for the best part of the last ten years after a distinguished career first as a sommelier, then as a partner in a wine-themed restaurant near the old all-marble Olympic stadium. He is passionate and knowledgable about wine, but not stupidly elitist, clever-clever or precious. Indeed his wine list cleverly blends the well-known with little discoveries you would struggle to find elsewhere, all at fair prices and served with proper all around glasses - yes, a bugbear of mine! Here you can enjoy a decent mouthful of, say, French stuff at a price that other wine bars would put on a relatively ordinary Nemea specimen. And the man himself is there all the time to advise and guide all visitors, expert and ignorant alike, with patience and humility, making this little place a big success despite the crisis.

We had two bottles of wine between four of us - I know, I know, I had to be good and, don't worry, I'm not losing my touch - the first being a thumping rose from Tavel in the south of France (Rhone valley), 2018 Chateau d' Aqueria, full of big cherry and ripe watermelon flavour and alcohol, a lively, enjoyable mouthful and not just for the summer. Then we had, at Yanni's recommendation and continuing the Rhone theme, a Crozes-Hermitage 2017 from Alain Graillot, which was dark and almost black in colour, with a rich spicy red fruit nose and a similar, juicy palate, ripe with lots of background soft tannins - drinking well now but with lots of time ahead. Both wines were well chosen, unusual for Greece (the Crozes less so, of course) and clearly show the thoughtfulness that has gone into compiling this list.



I do not know why I had not beaten a path to Paleo's door before, other than it isn't near my sister's apartment where I stay and I am impecunious, but this is me making excuses. It's a delightful place where you can drink good wine properly served at prices that won't break the bank, and the food is decent too, if simple, to accompany the wine rather than dominate. Even the homemade bread - a rarity in Greek eateries - is excellent!

This is a destination place worth seeking out, not just good for the lost and wandering of Piraeus. I shall be saving my pennies to go back again, and soon. Of course, dear reader, you can invite me and I can advise you on the riches contained in the wine list, singing for my supper. You will enjoy it, as my non (well, hardly any) wine-drinkimg friend did last night. He was already talking about going back as we were driving away, and he's about as impecunious as I am!