Explore the Wineries of Northern Greece
If you are a wine lover that is planning to visit Northern Greece, a trip to one or more of the wineries should be a must-do on your list. Greece is famous for its viticulture and conditions are ideal for grape cultivation in the north. Well-known varietals including cabernet sauvignon and merlot are grown along with Xinomavro, the main and noblest indigenous red grape varietal of northern Greece. It is rich in tannins and has high alcohol content. The high acidity and phenolic richness of Xinomavro, results in wines that can age for many years and sometimes decades.
In Northern Greece you can find wineries of all different sizes. Some are small, family run establishments and others are major wine producers. Many offer free tasting tours and you can also purchase bottles of wine at a lower price than what you’d find in a shop.
3 of the more well known wineries of Northern Greece include:
Kir-Yianni Estate
Kir-Yianni Estate is based in Naoussa and Amyndeon, on both sides of mount Vermion in Northwestern Greece. It was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, a 4th generation winemaker that helped shape the agricultural innovations and technological development that has grown the Greek wine industry to what it is today. Kir-Yianni Estate carries on a long history of family tradition and focuses on the production of premium wines with authentic character. Today, Boutaris’ son Stellios now carries on the family tradition. Visitors to Kir-Yianni Estate can learn about how the wine was produced, tour the facilities, and sample excellent wines while enjoying the scenery of the vineyard. In the Kir-Yianni Estate in Naoussa the following red wines are produced: Ramnista, Kir-Yianni Estate, Dyo Elies, Diaporos and Blue Fox. In the Kir-Yanni Estate in Amyndeon, the following wines are produced: Tesseris Limnes, Samaropetra, Petra, Akakies, Paranga.
Chateau Pigasos Winery
Chateau Pigasos Winery is a small boutique winery that has vineyards in Polla Nera village, between Naoussa and Edessa. It is operated by winemaker Dimitris Markovitis and his sister Katerina. Chateau Pigasos Winery produces xinomavro, chardonnay, Riesling, and cabernet sauvignon. Visits should be pre-arranged.
Domaine Gerovassiliou
Domaine Gerovassiliou was established by French-educated oenologist Vangelis Gerovassiliou in 1981 when he revived the family vineyard that spread over 2,5 hectares at Papamola region in Epanomi, approximately 25km to the south-east of the city of Thessaloniki. All Domaine wines are produced from grapes cultivated in this private vineyard that now stretches over 56 hectares. Visitors to Domaine Gerovassiliou can enjoy the setting as much as the wine, as the vineyard is situated on a bluff overlooking the sea and is surrounded by sloping vineyards and herb gardens. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Olympus across the water. At the winery, visitors can also enjoy the Gerovassiliou Wine Museum that presents various aspects of the world history of wine growing. It includes a collection of antique coopers’ tools, handmade wine-presses dating from the 18th to 20th centuries, wine bottles from the 16th to 20th centuries, and a collection of ornate corkscrews that Gerovassiliou started in the 1980’s making him one of the greatest collectors of corkscrews in the world.
Categorized in: About Peloponnese, Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
