Ktima Gerovassiliou

Starting our series on Greek wineries with "Ktima Gerovassiliou" (pronounced: Yerovasilíu) makes sense on many levels. This is, without question, one of the most respected producers of Greek wine, and you could even say that modern Greek winemaking, now making waves internationally too, wouldn't exist without the contribution of Evangelos Gerovassiliou, born 1951. It's therefore no coincidence either that the TV documentary (in German) on Greek wines already discussed here opens with his contribution.

Gerovassiliou comes from the small village of Epanomi, in the Thessaloniki area, where his family ran a small farming operation. After studying in Thessaloniki, a formative stint at the University of Bordeaux followed. There, he gained important experience under the guidance of none other than Emile Peynaud. In 1976, he then began as oenologist at the Greek estate Porto Carras (on the middle finger of Chalkidiki), which at the time held a rather solitary top position in Greek winemaking. Evangelos Gerovassiliou worked there until 1999, but had already begun expanding his family's estate near Epanomi back in 1981.

He started with the variety that still makes him famous today: Malagousia. It was practically extinct by the time he discovered its potential at Porto Carras. (We'll go into the mysterious background of Gerovassiliou's Malagousia in more depth in a separate post.) What began in 1981 on a little over a hectare is now a 72-hectare vineyard area surrounding the estate. This lies only a few kilometres from the sea, which stretches along three sides. The terroir is also shaped by sedimentary soils, in which sand clearly dominates.

With the reds, too, an autochthonous variety dominates: Limnio. Beyond that, Gerovassiliou also very successfully grows several French varieties, which are also aged as single-variety wines, as well as other Greek varieties that serve as blending partners. (The wines are – as a rule – produced under the protected geographical indication Epanomi. A dedicated post on the appellations of Greek wine is planned soon, though, for the details.)

Gerovassiliou places his bets on tradition. That's already clear from his focus on Malagousia and Limnio. The wine museum you can visit on the estate points in the same direction. Alongside that comes his connection to nature. Against the vine moth, Gerovassiliou relies on pheromones. The harvest, naturally, is done by hand. And he points out, with pride, that 28 bird species have been documented in the vineyard.

At the same time, though, he knows how to unite ancient heritage with innovation. He was, for instance, a pioneer in Greece when he adopted drip irrigation right from the start. And he knows that continuous refinement is a basic requirement for achieving excellence. A third of the total vineyard area has been replanted over the years, because it turned out that other vines would thrive better in those spots. And a dedicated experimental vineyard was established, currently trialling 46 varieties.

For all this diligence, Gerovassiliou is also marked by a great sense of calm. He knows what he and other pioneers have achieved within a single generation. All he needs to do now is confidently and continuously keep following the direction he's set. Gerovassiliou trusts that the terroirs and varieties Greece offers will convince on their own – given the winemaker's careful craftsmanship, of course. And there, he leads by good example. Nearly half the grapes fall victim to green harvesting, bringing him down to yields of under 50 hl/ha. And with his children, this work is already being continued at the highest level. (See this article on the next generation.)

Who should have tried wines from Ktima Gerovassiliou? In principle, anyone interested in European winemaking. Tasting notes on the Malagousia and the cuvée based mainly on Limnio, Avaton, are set to follow on the blog soon. In the meantime, the estate's website is well worth a visit. You can also follow the estate on social media (on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).