AS the summer works its way through the year - not always with gloriously sunny results - our thoughts turn to foreign holidays.

But this July people unable to travel to foreign parts need not feel too deprived.

For as in the past five summers, Weymouth's Pavilion theatre has thrown itself over to all things Greek thanks to the inspiration and enthusiasm of exuberant Cretan George Afedakis.

Since his arrival in Weymouth in 1998, George has gone some way to single-handedly changing the face and raising the profile of the resort.

For starters, he opened the phenomenally successful and popular Acropolis Hotel and its accompanying restaurant in Dorchester Road.

Then there is his town centre Greek food and wine shop in St Thomas Street, which offers committed Hellenophiles the chance to revisit sunlit holiday taverna meals through shelves filled with stuffed vine leaves, meatballs, stifado (a rich, herby beef stew), honey and wine.

But for a wider audience, the jewel in George's crown is his annual Festival of Greek Wine and Culture, which this year takes place in and around Weymouth Pavilion between Friday and Monday, July 27 to 30.

The four-day event, which last year drew crowds of around 15,000, will feature more than 20 of Greece's top wine producers and showcase more than 120 Hellic wines, plus spirits including Ouzo and Metaxa brandy.

There will also be the chance for visitors to sample titbits of traditional Greek food, including mezes - mixed platters of starters - stuffed vine leaves, meat dishes and various dips and cheeses.

This year's festival will be offering yet more Greek traditional food from George's kitchen.

They will include the famous Mezedes, bite-sized snacks like sausages, fried cheese, spinach pie and meatballs.

Other treats include authentic Greek cookies, olives and delicious ice cream direct from that sunny land. Rossi's ice cream parlour is also making a special Greek ice cream as part of the celebrations.

"Greek food is fantastic," enthuses George. "It is healthy and tasty and there is lots for vegetarians too. If there are 10 people and they order a plate of mezes, then there is bound to be something there that everyone will like.

"Fish, meat, giant beans, whatever you like you will be able to try it."

But the main thrust of the event is to celebrate and raise the profile of Greek wines, which remain very much overlooked in most UK supermarkets and off-licences.

"From the day I came to Weymouth I could see that people loved Greek food and wine and we want to open people to the many varieties of Greek wine," explains George, who comes from the Cretan town of Chania.

"I feel so bad because in England, you go to the supermarket and the only Greek wine you are likely to see there is Retsina.

"Yet Greece was the first country in the world to produce wine, 6,000 years ago, and we have more than 1,000 types of wine and more than 1,000 types of grape.

"So what we are aiming to do with the festival is put our Greek wine in the mouths of people before we put it in their supermarkets.

"That way, they will know what they are tasting and maybe, maybe, when they next go to the supermarkets they can ask for it and perhaps the shops will start to sell it if we can create a demand for it."

George has been organising the Festival of Greek Wine and Culture since 2003 and since then has raised more than £15,000 for charity.

This year the main beneficiaries will be Rotary International and the charities supported by Melcombe Regis Rotary Club.

Among the guests visiting will be Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, the UK head of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek head of the EMI record label from London and the president of the Rotary Club of Heraklion, the capital of Crete.

"I would one day like to see the Heraklion club twinned with Melcombe Regis," says George who, since his arrival in Dorset has made himself very much a part of Weymouth's community and has been warmly welcomed into its bosom.

"I love Weymouth and I love working with the people of Weymouth," he adds. "One of the great things about the wine festival is that it lets me give something back to the town.

"People seem to like what I am doing here, which is nice, and they like to see me work for the town. People come up to me and they talk to me in Greek, a little, which is nice, but because of all these things I now feel 100 per cent at home here. I have become a part of the community.

"And now we have the Olympics coming here, which is a great thing for the area, a great legacy to leave.

"I feel I am very lucky because I have been close to the Olympics twice - in Athens in 2004 and here in Weymouth in 2012."

Since its inception, George's festival has been growing year on year and raising Weymouth's profile nationally.

"I think it is a unique event," says George.

"Hoteliers tell me that they have people staying with them who have booked expressly so they can come to the festival.

"People come from Wales, from Scotland, they come from the big cities because they do not have this sort of thing where they live.

"It is a great event and I am proud to be a part of it and proud to be a part of Weymouth."

The Festival of Greek Wine and Culture runs from Friday to Monday, July 27 to 30 from noon until 9pm daily.

For full details, call 01305 784414 or visit greekwinefestival.co.uk

* This is a delicious Greek dish combining layers of pasta and meat, either beef or lamb. It is often served on its own as a main course.

INGREDIENTS: 500g thick macaroni 1 kg minced meat 3 eggs 180g grated kefalotiri or Parmesan cheese 100g oil 1 medium sized onion 500g ripe tomatoes 1 portion béchamel sauce salt pepper

METHOD: Partially cook the macaroni in salted water and drain well.

Put in a baking dish and pour half of the oil over the macaroni. Beat the egg whites and mix in the macaroni. Keep the yolks. They will be used to make the bechamel sauce.

Sprinkle with half of the cheese.

With the remaining oil brown the minced meat and the onion. Add the strained tomatoes or the tomato paste, salt, pepper and simmer until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining grated cheese. Stir all well. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Butter a baking dish. Lay half of the macaroni in the pan. Spread evenly with the meat mixture.

Lay the rest of the macaroni on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over them and sprinkle with grated cheese and some melted butter.

Bake in a moderate oven (200 C) until bechamel gets brown (40-45 minutes).