Mavrodaphne [mahv-rroh-DAHF-nee]
Popular Greek red-wine grape grown along the Gulf of Corinth. It is generally made into a sweet, full-bodied, aromatic, lightly fortified wine. The name, which translates to “black laurel,” comes from the resemblance this grape has to the laurel berry. The celebrated Mavrodaphne wines spend their first summer in oak barrels outside, basking in the sunshine. This technique allows the wine to soften into a pleasant dessert wine.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.