What I didn't see at VorOina (ΒορΟινά)

We have company! My first guest-blogger, Maria Dalabira, attended a wine event at Thessaloniki, where the wine producers of Northern Greece showed their wines.

 

Every wine is a journey

Maria Dalabira enjoying wine

Maria is a great wine aficionado. She enjoys drinking wine with friends and is always happy to discover new varieties or blends. This is her blog about Thessaloniki, you should definitely check it out and see how beautiful this city is. I reckon that the voice of the consumers and the attributes which attract them the most, are those that the wine experts should focus more on. At the end of the day, we are all working on wine because it's fun and it's honest. Let's keep our ears and eyes open to understand the wine consumers and not vice versa.

 This is how Maria experienced a wine event in Thessaloniki:

Yesterday, on the 22^nd of September, me and my girlfriends, were so excited about our Saturday’s night out event. It was wine tasting day! Since 2010 we have been attending «Τα ΒορΟινά», a unique wine journey. This is an event that takes place in Thessaloniki, twice a year and it consists of wine tasting competition, wine tasting of the wines of the 36 winemakers and members of the “Wines of Northern Greece”. The event was held at the Port of Thessaloniki, Dock 1 in particular, which is a recently innovated space with an amazing view and beautiful history.

The day was special, Effi asked me if I could take some pictures and memorise special wine labels that tickled my palate, so me and the girls had a mission going on: Taste as many wines as possible and make our top three!

The organisers held a wine tasting competition for all visitors, a "looking for the lost treasure" game, a moustalevria tasting (special sweet made with grape must) and a children’s wine workshop in which children over 5 years of age would “learn the different varieties of grapes and make their own delicious grape bites”, as the event’s flier stated.

We had a rendezvous at 8:30 pm in the entrance and as I was the first one to get there I stood in line alone to enter the special dock. This year I waited for the first time for 10-15 minutes in line because of the resonance ‘’ΒορΟινα” had. The crowd was BIG and the ages varied from 6 months old to really old wine lovers!

I paid my 5 Euros fee, got my glass and got in to lots of white tents, lights, people, laughter and swirling glasses full of wine. 

VorOina: Tasting of wines & spirits

In the entrance there was a desk with six black bottles and in front of each and every one of them there was a big number from 1 to 6. This table was the  wine tasting’s competition table. They gave each person a paper with all the possible wine varieties and every one should check the box he/she thought represented the wine he/she was tasting at the moment! Every person wrote his personal info, such as phone number, name, surname etc so the winner would be found and rewarded! (The reward is a case of 6 bottles of wine).

So, as I read from the informational paper “Boutari” wines gave me, the main Greek white wine varieties are:

Assyrtiko, Vilana, Moschofilero, Savvatiano, Malagousia and

the main Greek red wine varieties are:

Agiorgitiko, Kotsifali, Negoska, Xinomavro.

And so the journey began.

And what a journey! We had so much fun! Seriously we tasted wines from all 36 winemakers and they were all great! I began the tasting by myself, as I was waiting for my friends and I started from the end towards the beginning and the first white wine was a winner.

The first wine I liked comes from Vourvoukelis estate; a family of winemakers that planted 2 hectares on the fertile hills of the area Avdira at Xanthi with indigenous and foreign wine grape varieties, with a view to realizing their vision of reviving the famous Avdira vineyard. The wine’s name is Lagara, Ktima Vourvoukeli 2009. Lagara, which means clear, pure liquid, is a blend of Sauvignon blanc and Assyrtiko. As my friends arrived at the place we united and continued the wine tasting with so much excitement! There were laughs, cheesy jokes, happy faces and glasses full of wine everywhere!

Certainly, the ladies had great fun!

Another great wine was a white one from Ktima Ligas (wines of Pella).  The PELLA white wine was so velvety, lively and light! Estate Ligas had many fans among our company and we also liked another of their white wines: Roditis

As we went on, glass after glass, we stopped at the Ktima Chatzivarytis wines which surprised us so pleasantly with the lightness of its lively, white whine, the full-bodied red wine and the fashion icon Mister Chatzivarytis; a charmer, so kind and full of smiles! The white wine was: OROSIMO, which consists of 60% Roditis and 40% Xinomavro and the red wine was GOUMENISSA which consisted of Xinomavro 70% and Negoska 30%.

Mr. Chatzivarytis

We enjoyed the Elinos wine: Orizontes, a white wine of 2011.

From the Oenogenesis winemakers we liked: Skylights white wine, a regional wine of Macedonia, cool, with Sauvignon blanc and Assyrtico.

We liked a white dry wine from Boutaris called: SIMEIO STIXIS whose varieties are Malagouzia, Roditis, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon blanc.

People kept coming again and again and not only Greeks but foreigners too. I am guessing Erasmus students in Thessaloniki, whose picture I took but forgot to ask how they landed there. The night was wonderful, warm, the sky was clear and the winemakers were happy!

ERASMUS students enjoying every minute of VorOina

In the end of the kiosks there were three kiosks with local traditional products such as peppers from Florina, moustalevria sweets and meat products such as pork, calf and others!

Delicious meat products by http://www.toxasapaki.gr

We found some wines that came to add to our favorites list!

I loved a rose demi sec from EAS Amyntaion , called AMYNTAION and so did my friend Sissy! We are definitely going to buy this one!

This is the only rose wine with ‘Appellation of Origin of Superior Quality’ in Greece

There were also two of Kir Yianni wines, the first one a white wine, SAMAROPETRA and the second one, a rose sparkling called AKAKIES, 2010.

Samaropetra

For us, the surprise of the evening wasn’t a wine but a tsipouro, the best one I have ever tasted. Strong and bold, it burned your mouth and leaved your lips numb, a Zoenos winery tsipouro called: IPEIROTIKO, aged Tsipouro was a winner!

There was also a buzz about a new rose from Boutari, called Pink Kong, which we didn’t have the chance to taste because it was finished by the time we reached the Boutari’ s kiosk.

Anyway our top three wines were (not only three)

White wine: KTIMA LIGAS -PELLA AND SIMEIO STIXIS-BOUTARI

Red wine:  Ecological Vineyards Chatzivarity-GOUMENISSA.

Rose wine: EAS - AMYNTAION

And guest star: ZOENOS WINERY- Tsipouro, Palaiomeno Ipeirotiko.

As the night came to its closure we were happy drank girls, with our wine glasses as a souvenir (they let you keep the glass as a remembering), with our cameras filled with photographs and our memories filled with wines we are definitely going to buy for a home wine tasting experience!

View of the kiosks

Thessaloniki during the after-hours

Great view from the tasting site

Winemaker: Ody Vourvoukelis Part 2

Young Winemakers and Wine professionals of Greece

Ody N. Vourvoukelis     

Ody giving a presentation in Zurich

 

In case you missed Part 1 of the interview, please click here.

Do you organise activities in the Estate you work for? If, yes, please specify and comment on their impact on the sales and communication. If not, what are your plans for the future?

Our winery is open to public all year long and we are always happy to welcome guests to our estate. Apart from that, we are organising numerous events such as painting and sculpture exhibitions, dance and song festivals, poetry and film nights. We believe it is very important to host such events and let our guests discover the wine world while having fun.

Domaine Vourvoukelis

Imposing tasting room

 

A little something About You:

I love music and films to the point of boredom for some. I am also a collector of various artists work, with my favourite being that of Frank Sinatra love.  A bit of a bookworm as well and I constantly enrich my library. Books about viticulture and winemaking have plenty of space in my office but I am also a great fan of biographies, as discovering and appreciating the lives of important people is deeply satisfying, me thinks. I also used to be in athlete and had my personal time of glory in football and in athletics. Finally, I am incredibly in food and beverages, to the extent of planning my weekends or vacations with regards to the new tastes I want to try. Of course I completely adore our 4 puppies, a Japanese Akita, a Chinese Chow Chow, a German d and a Greek shepherd. Oh, we also have 2 cats!

Last but not least, do you export in the UK? If yes, who is your importer or distributor? If not, would you be interested in doing so?

Unfortunately, not yet. I am very patient in this export sector because always target people with whom together we can build into our products and to provide long-term cooperation. There have been partners, who were systematically tasting our wines for 3-4 years, before establishing a long-term collaboration. This is my aim for the British market as well; quality driven cooperation and not ephemeral profit.

Syrah grapes making their way into the cellar

 I hope you enjoyed the Part 2 of the interview with Ody Vourvoukelis as much as I did. If you wish to learn more about Domaine Vourvoukelis you can visit their page on Facebook (don't forget to like it as well) or use the following contact details:

Tel.	+30 2541 051580
Email address	info@ktima-vourvoukeli.gr
Website	http://www.ktima-vourvoukeli.gr

 Looking forward to you comments.

À bientôt!

Winemaker: Ody Vourvoukelis Part 1

Young Winemakers and Wine professionals of Greece

  Ody N. Vourvoukelis            

                                                                                                       

I have never met Ody (Odysseus) in person. It was through Facebook that we had our first chat and started talking about his winery, Domaine Vourvoukelis, in northern Greece. I always welcome the opportunity to meet wine professionals from all sorts of social media, so he will be the first young winemaker to welcome to my blog. During the harvest, life is insane in a winery but Ody was very enthusiastic and  found the time to answer the questions of our little interview. This is part 1.

When was the first time you realised that you are a dedicated wine lover and decided that your future would be associated with the wine industry? Which factors played the most crucial role to this decision? 

I was first introduced to winemaking and viticulture in 1999. It was then, when my father planted his first 20 vine hectares in his hometown, Avdira. I remember myself, 14 years old at that time, and my brother at 17 to not actually entertaining ourselves in the vineyards as our interests were quite diverse. Of course, with time we both realised that our connection with nature and more specifically with grape growing and winemaking gave us a deep satisfaction, motive and drive to all aspects of our lives. Our involvement in the estate gave us a vision, to recreate and resurrect an ancient vineyard, which was widely known in our own region and to make wines that carry both a heritage and a brand name. We aim to make special wines, that would feel like being grown in our own soil. This is how my journey as another Odysseus started in the world of wine.                  

                                                

Tell me about your background in the wine world, including harvests, studies, projects or qualifications.

Firstly, I would like to say that I have been involved in winemaking and everything around it since I was 14 in our vineyard, which at the time of speaking counts 100 hectares of Greek and French grape varieties. In 2002, I graduated from high school and moved to Germany, where I was accepted at the Chemistry Department of Heidelberg University. During my studies, I felt that they were quite general and therefore I applied at the Wine Marketing Department of Heilbronn University. It was three years after that I returned to Greece and enrolled to an Agriculture course. My dissertation was based on the research into the water potential of the  of the  Antonopulos Vineyards in Peloponnese. In 2010 I completed my studies and since then I have been fully engaged to our estate in Avdira. Of course, during my studies I was very passionate in exploring wine regions in Europe, especially in Germany.

Being part of the new wave of the Greek Wine Industry generation, which 3 things would you  change in the industry, including vineyard management, oenological techniques, communication, marketing etc.

 The Greek state is not investing in research, as far as viticulture is concerned. I have been trying to organise several exciting projects on Greek wine varieties, which are almost uncountable and I am confident that with hard work and the right management we will be able to promote them. This is directly connected to the winemaking of these grapes and the production of wines of higher quality. Another link in this chain is the planting of grape varieties in different parts of the world and the way we can approach different consumer groups and understand their tasting preferences. For instance, in a region where more red wine with soft tannins is consumed, more focus should be drawn to varieties with similar characteristics. Of course, I would insist on Greek indigenous varieties, as this is where I see the future of the Greek Wine Industry. In matters of communication, I feel that the older methods used involving publications in wine, food and lifestyle magazines have completed their circle, because of the rising power  of social media. I personally tend to invest in direct connections.                                                                                                                                                                

                                               

Ody in the cellar

Many wine-journalists suggest that Greece’s point of difference is the amount of its indigenous varieties and that in order to differentiate itself in the wine world, winemakers should focus on them. On the other hand, others claim that we should also cultivate international varieties, in order to keep up with the world’s competition. What is your point of view regarding this subject?

Greece has the great advantage to have a large number of indigenous varieties. However, there is a disadvantage; they are not systematically cultivated and evolved over the years as the French, for instance, which were refined and adapted around the world.  This is a process that should have started much earlier in Greece as well, for working and researching on our indigenous varieties is our most powerful is our distinctive advantage in a global competitive market. Of course, in order to produce competitive products, we should grow and international varieties according to the attributable aim.  The emergence of Greek varieties is the main goal. 

Which Greek variety and which international are your favourites and why? Please, explain your affiliation and say a few words about the variety itself. Do you grow them in the estate you are working for? 

My favourite Greek variety is called Pamiti or Pamidi (Pamid); I feel it’s like a child to me or better an ancestor, as it is an ancient variety from Thrace, Northern Greece. It gives light dry and semi-dry whites and rose wines. We produce a semi-dry rose. This is my favourite variety as me and my family revived it; we meticulously collected grafts from all over the region, sent them to France for DNA identification and then planted them in the nursery. The Pamiti wines are very aromatic and fruity; they have great balance of sweetness and acidity. These are wines that go pretty match with everything; they match a great variety of food but are also very enjoyable on their own. Regarding the international varieties, my taste is different. Merlot wines with long ageing, high alcohol and rich tannins is the international variety I enjoy the most.  It may leave you wondering but it will finally let you discover its secrets, unlike other more complex varieties. We make a red wine blend with 50% Merlot, 30% Syrah and 20% Pamid.

                                                      

Pamid Grapes

The wines of Domaine Vourvoukelis