It seemed yet another boring night was being cooked up last September when my best friend – and best man – Steve invited my wife and me to dinner at a new restaurant he had heard about. But almost a year later, Whispers of wine, the restaurant in Marousi, is our preferred place to be, and Panos Pappas, the owner, is a very good friend.

For most of us, choosing which wine best suits our dinner is difficult. Is it white or red, Greek or French? Which wine best reveals the taste of fish? Do we smell the cork, or just roll the wine around gently in our glass? You’ll find the answers at Whispers of wine, which serves you a delicious dinner in a beautiful setting while teaching you to become an expert in wine tasting.

Panos Pappas and his wife Marina, an enologist, offer their guests a carefully selected menu inspired by the Mediterranean cuisine, combined with the best wine options. “Guests” is how they refer to their patrons, and the size of the restaurant – only 10 tables – gives diners the impression they are sitting in a cozy villa dining room. The difference is that Marina’s cellar accommodates over 400 labels of exquisite wines from all over the world.

Every week, on Wednesdays, the owners welcome their guests to a different wine seminar. They serve five wines from a selected vineyard, combined with five dishes – appetizer, salad, first course, second course, dessert. As they serve, they talk to you about the specific vintage, the maturation and the bottling. They also give you practical guidance in choosing and tasting wine. It is a seminar indeed, but without the note-taking, assessment, and ban on food and beverages.    

Experts in wine tasting say that if you taste a lot and learn a lot, you create a memory of tastes that can be recalled when needed. It becomes easier for you to ascertain what flower or fruit aroma is hiding in the glass; if the wine spent a few months in a barrel; or if the Italian pasta will taste better combined with a French Merlot.

So the retro elegant Whispers of Wine is the perfect place to start your lifelong education in wine. And the price is something to drink to: € 35 per person for the dinner and all the wine served. Call (210 617 9051) or e-mail ([email protected]) Panos to make your reservation for yourself and your date. Whispers is located at 48 Agiou Konstantinou Street, just off Kifissias Avenue in Maroussi.