How to Use Vine Leaves: A Guide to Greece's Most Underrated Pantry Hero
Tender, organic, handpicked in Halkidiki. From classic dolmades to grilled sardines, everything you can do with one jar.
Posted June 2026 · Galanis Foods Journal
What you can do with a jar of vine leaves
Learning how to use vine leaves opens up one of the most rewarding corners of Greek cooking, and it starts with one classic dish: tender little parcels of rice and herbs known as dolmades. Vine leaves are simply the young leaves of the grapevine, picked in spring, blanched and preserved in brine so you can cook with them all year round.
For home cooks across Australia, they're an easy way to bring a genuine taste of the Greek table into your own kitchen. In this guide, we'll cover what makes a good vine leaf, why Marianna's organic leaves from Halkidiki are worth seeking out, the many ways to cook with them, and a foolproof recipe for classic dolmades.
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Marianna's Organic Vine Leaves
411g jar · 200g drained. Handpicked in Halkidiki. Great Taste Award winner.
Shop Now →What are vine leaves, exactly?
Vine leaves come from the grapevine, the same plant that gives us wine and table grapes. Across Greece, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, cooks have used them for centuries as edible wrappers, prized for the gentle, slightly tangy flavour they lend to whatever they hold.
Fresh leaves are only available for a short window in spring, so most are preserved in brine soon after picking. That's exactly what the Kazakis family does at their estate in Halkidiki, in northern Greece. The leaves are handpicked from their own organic vineyards and, within just a few hours, packed fresh into jars with brine and gently pasteurised. Soft, tender and full of flavour, they're ready to use whenever inspiration strikes.
Why Quality MattersNot all vine leaves are equal
The difference is obvious the moment you start to roll. Marianna's leaves come from the Soultanina grape variety, hand-selected for their size and suppleness. Because the Kazakis family has run their business since 1994 and tends the vineyards themselves, they control quality from the vine to the jar. The result is a leaf that stays intact while you wrap, holds its shape during cooking, and never turns tough or bitter.
Certified Organic
Grown without synthetic chemicals. A short ingredient list: vine leaves, water, sea salt, citric acid.
Soft & Tender
Supple enough to roll without splitting, sturdy enough to hold a generous filling.
Award-Winning
A 1-Star Great Taste Award winner in 2016 — a respected international mark of flavour and craft.
Generous Jar
411g total with 200g of drained leaves — plenty for a full batch of around 30 dolmades.
The health benefits of vine leaves
Beyond their flavour, vine leaves are a genuinely nutritious wrapper. They're naturally low in kilojoules, plant-based and a good source of fibre. Traditionally they've been valued across the Mediterranean for their antioxidant content, and because they're brined rather than fried or processed, they fit neatly into the kind of fresh, vegetable-forward eating the Greek diet is famous for. When you fill them with rice, herbs and olive oil, you end up with a dish that's both satisfying and light. Traditional food and healthy food are often one and the same.
Beyond DolmadesMore ways to use vine leaves
While dolmades are the headline act, there are many delicious ways to use vine leaves once you have a jar in the pantry. Here are some of our favourites.
Wrap Whole Fish
Rinse and wrap small fish such as sardines before grilling. The leaf keeps the flesh moist and adds a lemony tang.
Bake Under Cheese
Lay a few over feta or haloumi, drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese softens and the edges crisp.
Add to a Braise
Tuck a couple into the pot when braising lamb or chicken. They melt down and quietly enrich the sauce.
Vegetarian Parcels
Fill with rice, lentils, herbs and pine nuts for a vegan dolmades that's just as good cold the next day.
How to make Greek dolmades
Now for the recipe most people have in mind when they ask how to use vine leaves. These rice-filled dolmades are vegetarian, bright with herbs and lemon, and best served warm or at room temperature with a dollop of yoghurt.
Ingredients
- 1 jar Marianna's organic vine leaves (200g drained weight)
- 1 cup short-grain or medium-grain rice
- 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- ½ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Salt Odyssey Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups water or vegetable stock
Method
- Prepare the leaves. Carefully unroll the vine leaves and rinse under cool water to remove the brine. Drain well. Set aside any torn leaves to line the base of your pot.
- Make the filling. Heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Soften the onion and spring onions for five minutes, then stir through the rice and cook two minutes more. Off the heat, fold in the herbs, half the lemon juice, salt and pepper. The rice should be coated but still raw. It finishes cooking inside the parcels.
- Roll the dolmades. Place a leaf shiny-side down, stem towards you. Add a teaspoon of filling near the base, fold in the sides, then roll away from you into a neat cigar. Don't overfill, as the rice expands.
- Layer the pot. Line the base with the reserved torn leaves. Pack the dolmades in tightly, seam-side down, in snug layers so they hold their shape.
- Cook gently. Pour over the remaining olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice and enough water or stock to just cover. Set a heatproof plate on top to keep them submerged. Cover and simmer on low for 40–45 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Rest and serve. Let them cool in the pot for 20 minutes before lifting out. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges, a drizzle of olive oil and thick Greek yoghurt.
A quick tip: dolmades taste even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to settle. They keep beautifully in the fridge for up to four days.
Once you know how to use vine leaves, a single jar in the pantry becomes a passport to dozens of Mediterranean dishes.
Galanis Foods · A Taste of Greece
Bring a taste of Greece to your table
Marianna's organic vine leaves give you the tender, award-winning quality that makes all the difference — grown with care by a family who has tended their Halkidiki vineyards for three decades.
Shop Vine Leaves Browse Savoury RangeWant to meet the family behind these leaves? Read the story of producer Marianna's.
a taste of Greece
