KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU Winery – The ambassador of Greek wine

Greece – a land blessed by Zeus, the cradle of ancient civilizations and the homeland of the greatest philosophers, attracts millions of tourists every year. The numerous islands and the mild, subtropical climate create excellent conditions for relaxation and entertainment.

While you relax on the beach on sunny days, in the evening you can enjoy delicious Greek dinners, along with exceptional wines created by internationally renowned oenologists.

We spent our 2021vacation, as has been our custom for several years, in this wonderful country. More precisely, after a 10-day stay on the Ionian coast of Greece, at Vrachos Beach and then in picturesque Lefkada, on the way back to the country we had planned a visit and a wine tasting at the KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU Winery, one of the most representative wineries in Greece.

The winery is located in Epanomi, 25 km southeast of Thessaloniki and is the brainchild of Vangelis Gerovassiliou, who began the revival of the 10 ha of family vineyards in 1981. Today, the total area of ​​vineyards exceeds 300 ha.

The GEROVASSILIOU winery and estate are the pride of Greek wine tourism.

In the beautiful pavilion with a unique view of the vineyards we find monumental works of art by Greek artists such as "The Grape" by Costas Tsoklis, in the garden, "The Moon" and "The Horizon" by Kostas Varotsos, in the vineyard.

We must say that in the face of such beauties, the entire construction of the Gerovassiliou estate bears the modernist imprint of a Greek architect who managed to perfectly combine the spaces intended for tourists (the cafe in the center that seems to fly) with the view of the vineyards, the sea and Mount Olympus.

Returning to Vangelis Gerovassiliou, we mention that he is considered the savior of the Malagousia variety, a rare, Greek variety, a variety that was on the verge of disappearing into the mists of time.

Sensing the extraordinary potential of this grape, Vangelis selected the best clones found and replanted them on his estate, making Malagousia the flag bearer of his winery!.

In addition to Malagousia, Gerovassiliou has also planted other Greek and international varieties. We mention: Assyrtiko-white variety, Limnio-the oldest Greek variety still in production today, also mentioned by Aristophanes in the 5th century BC, Negro and Mavrotragano-Greek red varieties. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Merlot are also in production.

An eloquent example of the entire vineyard portfolio owned by Ktima Gerovassiliou are the approximately 30 experimental rows planted with vines, covering a very wide range of varieties.

It is noted that at the end of each row is the name of the grape variety, its characteristics and its distribution area.

When we arrived at Ktima Gerovassiliou, harvest time had begun, the first ripe bunches of the Greek Assyrtiko variety, originally from the island of Santorini, were being gathered.

As it was the harvest time, Inoticed with great interest as the grapes in each row are checked by an autonomous robot (Robotnik). It provides information in terms of yield estimation (quantity of grapes per square meter of vine surface: kg/m2) depending on the optimal ripeness of the grapes in each area, which improves the quality of the wine. The information is analyzed by a complex specialized team.

The area is very well demarcated, everything is green, perfected down to the smallest details. There is so much joy and interest from local customers and visitors from other countries that the beauty of the place makes you feel like you are in paradise.

Moving on to the most interesting part of the visit - the wine tasting - I must tell you that it was excellently organized and full of information.

I chose from the offer, the TOPOS option with 5 Greek wines at the price of 15 euros/pers. I tasted: White 2020-a blend of white wines (Assyrtiko and Malagousia), Malagousia 2020, Xinomavro Rose 2020, Avaton 2018-a blend of red wines (Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano) and Malagousia 2018 from overripe grapes-sweet wine.

Everything was seasoned with delicious mini snacks, which further highlighted the fragrance and bouquet of the wines tasted.

Obviously, after the tasting, we went to the winery's shop, where we first bought Malagousia, a wine that still holds a place of honor in my personal wine cellar.

The end of the visit took us to a place full of meaning: the Wine Museum.

The Gerovassiliou Wine Museum exhibits Vangelis’ personal collection of thousands of corkscrews. Authentic objects associated with the ancient Greek symposium and the tools used in grape growing and winemaking tell stories about the vine and wine.

The unique sculptures in the park and vineyard, the educational programs, the guided tours, the cultural events and the wine tasting experience, all show us how great the wine culture can be.

Argyris, Marianthi and Vasiliki, the second generation, continue the family tradition in the Epanomi wine area, following in the footsteps of their parents, Sonia and Vangelis Gerovassiliou.

The image of the 80 hectares of vineyards stretching on the slopes of Epanomi, cooled by the breeze of the Thermaikos Gulf under the gaze of Mount Olympus, will remain etched in my mind forever after the extraordinary visit to KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU.