As you probably already know, Greek Mythology is extremely rich. It is said that Dionysus, God of wine, brought to the Greeks the vineyard and wine. He taught them how to cultivate the vines and how to produce wine, how to maintain it and how to drink it.
Five notable winemakers of Attica, with a common goal, have joined forces to create Wine Roads Athens. In this winemaking region with a history that spans 3500 years, they cultivate their vineyards with dedication, passion, working with both indigenous and international varieties. Their aim is to produce wines of high quality which express the personality and the distinctive characteristics of their vineyards.
Wines of Athens was created by the need of the winemakers to put the vineyards of Attica and the local grape variety, Savatiano, on the map! Wines of Athens envision the return of Retsina, the oldest wine in the world, as well as creating a network connecting the wineries with the abundant archaeological sites of Attica, thus allowing the visitor to take a dream journey through history, enjoying the beauty of the Attican landscape and discovering the wonderful world of Greek wine.
But, Athens has yet another reason that makes it special. It is one of the very few European capitals that vineyards and wineries are so close to the city!!!
The five winemakers are:
Ktima Kokotos
The Kokotos estate dates back to the 1970s when George Kokotos and his family decided to settle in Stamata, abandoning city life to build their home and create a small vineyard in the hills north of Athens! It is really a great estate, where you can find inside an olive grove, beehives, poultry farm and vegetable garden! I don’t think that you could ask for more! It is around 45 minutes drive from the centre of Athens, depending on the traffic!
Markou Vineyards
With love and inherited knowledge in wine culture and the production of fine wines, the brothers Marcou founded in 1983 a modern winemaking facility in Paiania in Mesoghaia a 40-minute drive from the centre of Athens! They have a great variety of grapes like Savatiano, Agiorgitiko (native of Nemea), the Assyrtiko, Roditis, Athiri, Moschofilero, Muscat, Malagouzia, the French Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Italian Trebbiano. Not bad, right?
The winery of Markou is open to visitors and those friends who want to know the winemaking process closely! You can check their website (I am afraid that it’s in Greek!) and contact them at info[at]markouwines.gr (The email is presented like this for anti-spam reasons. To use it simply change the [at] with the: @ and send it over).
Mylonas Winery
This vineyard is located in Laureotiki, in the region of Keratea and belongs to the broader wine-growing zone of Mesogaia, a historic place, famous for its wine since the time of ancient Greece and the symposiums of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle!! It is the vineyard with the highest altitude of Mesogaia since it is located at the foothills of Mount Panion at an altitude of 200-350m., embraced literally by the sea, which gives to the vineyard a blessed breeze! You will find there, plenty of varieties like Savatiano, Malagousia, Assyrtiko, Aidani, Mandilaria, Limniona and Merlot.
Papagiannakos Domaine
This is the first winery designed and built-in Greece according to innovative bioclimatic standards and we – in SecretGreece – support the environmentally friendly initiatives! Set among vines, the site on which the Winery has been built is that of an old monastery and is located in the heart of the plain of the Attican Vineyards and it’s 40 minutes drive from the centre if you want to taste some good Greek wine! It is open during the weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays by appointment.
Anastasia Fragou’s Winery
The proprietary vineyards amount to 14 hectares and are located in Rafina, Spata, Pikermi, a few kilometres outside Athens. In Rafina is the beautiful winery of Anastasia Fragkou, which has the modern facilities and tradition of wine-making co-exists!
You can find the above Greek wineries on the below map and if you are interested in visiting them you can check their websites and contact them.
If you looking for accommodation in Athens, check our list with the best luxurious hotels!
If you need any additional information send an email to info[at]wineroadsofathens.com or simply ask us anything about Greek wine and vineyards! We can recommend to you specific tour agencies that make wineries tours!
(The email is presented like this for anti-spam reasons. To use it simply change the [at] with the: @ and send it over).