Some people cannot understand the big fuss about choosing a glass of wine to drink. On the other hand, some can speak at great length about the differences between a 2015 bottle of Bordeaux from Napa Valley and a 2014 bottle of Chianti Classico from Tuscany. From its year of creation to where it was first sold, no two bottles of wine are ever the same, even if the blends may fall under the same genre. Noting these keen variances is where wine connoisseurs like Dr. Constantine Stratakis come in. When you think about it, a glass of wine is just a culmination of chemicals. Stratakis, a world-renowned physician-scientist and expert in genetics and endocrinology, also channels his knack for science into the study, collection, and analysis of wine from around the world.
Constantine Stratakis works in Bethesda, Maryland, where he spends much of his time at his NIH-funded laboratory studying endocrinology. In addition to Stratakis’ work as a physician-scientist, he continues to focus on his passion for wine. An avid world traveler, Stratakis decided to extend his wine expertise to the masses. Not only has he collected aging bottles from around the world during his travels, but he also makes his own wine.
Stratakis’ Picks for Domestic Wine Blends
Stratakis operates an Instagram account where he shares his top blends and brands. He shares photos of some of his most prized bottles and suggestions for which of those bottles you should purchase for an upcoming event. For example, when asked about inexpensive but great wines from California, Stratakis recommends the 2012 Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon. He praises the wine’s “typical intense tastes,” characteristic among Californian Cabernet Sauvignons, and suggests the 2012 bottle over the 2016 edition.
Stratakis is a fan of both red and white blends. One white blend that he shared on his account in early August comes from Washington state’s Columbia Valley. The bottle is a 2015 vintage bottle of riesling, with 100 percent vinifera rootstock. The wine comes from Chateau Ste Michelle, which sources “wine from both warm and cool climate sites in the Columbia Valley world-class vineyards.” The wine’s sweet lime and peach flavors pair well with any food, especially since it’s just as dry as it is sweet.
Stratakis’ Picks for International Wine Blends
Stratakis’ wine cellar features world-renowned bottles of international wine blends. Stratakis, who completed his medical degree at the University of Athens, especially takes pride in his Greek wine collection. One bottle, in particular, hails from Euboea, a Greek island. When looking into German wine, Stratakis suggests Dornfelder. He shared a Dornfelder bottle on his Instagram account and mentioned that it’s his top red wine choice from Germany. Although Domfelder is not the most well-known German red wine in the US (Pinot noir is), he praises the bottle for its “fruity, intensely red, pinot-noir-like wine.” Amazingly, this Domfelder was produced in Germany’s north-east region of Saxony, whereas most well-known German wines are from the southwest.
Another European red wine that Stratakis recommends hails from the south of France. The Surah, Grenache Mourvedre blend has a “silky texture, plum aftertaste, tannins well-aged, without the slightest imposition of a Bordeaux or even the strength of a Chateauneuf.” The bottle, made in Provence, works as a well-balanced option for wine drinkers looking to indulge during a summer dinner.
Stratakis also recommends bottles of wine from Armenia, “where wine has been made for more than 6,000 years.” An affordable bottle of wine from the Karas brand is described by Stratakis as “a Bordeaux-style wine that would cost you more than $100 at the price of about $20.” Its taste is “a 2015 blend of Syrah, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Montepulciano, with the native Khndoghni that is now at its peak.” He recommends drinking this wine with a slice of grilled meat but, nevertheless, categorizes the bottle as a “great everyday red” that pairs well with any type of food.
About Constantine Stratakis
Dr. Constantine Stratakis is a physician-scientist and world leader in genetics and endocrinology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Athens. In 1990, he began his pediatrics residency at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. He remained in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area after he completed his residency. His professional endeavors with the National Institute of Health inspired him to stay close by. Aside from his research in the genetics of endocrine disorders, Dr. Stratakis continues to see and treat patients, and teach medical trainees and others in life sciences.
Stratakis’s laboratory, funded by the NIH since 1995, hosts residents and fellows from various parts of the global community. The laboratory identified the genes for a number of endocrine disorders affecting children and adults, including Cushing syndrome and gigantism. Throughout his career, he has written over eight hundred publications. He also served as the editor in chief of the Journal of Endocrine Genetics and the deputy editor of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, a leading journal in endocrinology. Today he is co-Editor-in-Chief of Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology and Hormone & Metabolic Research.
