Over the past few years the diet of the people living in Mediterranean area has come into focus and many people where surprised to learn the prominent role wine plays in keep us healthy. You can create a healthy gourmet wine gift basket based on the Mediterranean diet and give the wine lover on your list a taste of the wonderful assortment of Greek wines.

Greece has a 6,000 year old wine tradition supported by mythology which attributes the origin of winemaking to Dionysus. Each of the local wines has a distinct identity and quality, which has been supported for the past 20 years by the formation of the Appellation d' Origine Controlee (AOC). Wine producers in Greece have enjoyed much success in culinary circles and gourmet wine gift baskets are a natural extension to this.

Greek gourmet wine gift baskets make a wonderful addition to any wine enthusiasts collection. For a country that is smaller that the state of Georgia in America, ranking after the 12th largest wine producing country of Chile is a testament to the improvement of wine quality over the last ten years. Wine production in Greece is a natural result of its variable, temperate climate and all sorts of varied soils, much of it mountainous with is conducive for a wide range of wines.

What are some of the best known grape varieties used in Greek wines? The grape variety of Moschofilero grown in a cool climate produces white wines that are delicate and aromatic. For full bodied red wines, look to the grape variety called Xinomavro. When you want to fill your gourmet wine gift basket with delicious dessert wines, the Muscat variety from the Greek islands are wonderful choices.

For the wine aficionado, the fact that most Greek wines are made from native grape varieties will make them unique and appealing. Greek wines come from a cool climate which gives them a subtle temperament with low alcohol content.

By some standards, every Greek meal could be considered gourmet; salads made with delectable feta cheese, fresh seafood combinations, whole grain breads served with delicious wine is the common fare eaten on a daily basis. For the basic Greek gourmet wine gift baskets, select a pair of red and white wine from any of the famous vineyards of Greece and then surround it with extra-virgin olive oil, ?pitza? appetizers, marinated and oil cured olives, feta cheese, pasta, stuffed grape leaves with seasoned rice and fire-roasted peppers.

You can also create a gourmet wine gift basket with a Greek island theme; there are many regional producers of wine on Crete, Samos and Santorini online that can provide you with all of the ingredients for a wonderful present for any wine enthusiast.

If your wine lover has a sweet tooth, you can pair deliciously sweet dessert wines with a number of pastries that have a distinctive Mediterranean flavor; Kataifi (Shredded Nut Pastries) or Bourekakia (Honey Nut Rolls) and one of the many varieties of the world famous flaky pastry Baklava filled with honey, walnuts or pistachios just to name a few. Make your present unique and really surprise your wine lover with a gourmet wine gift basket of delicacies and delectable Merlot or Chardonnay from Greece; the land where wine is considered a ?gift from the Gods.?