Driving along the road next to the vineyards of the Kyri-Yiannis Estate in Giannakochori, Naoussa, on a cold but bright winter morning, you can’t help but notice the leafless vine shoots patiently awaiting spring, which is just around the corner, so they can slowly begin to turn green until they generously yield their precious fruit.
Upon arriving at your destination—the winery that overlooks the hillside covered in vineyards—a bustling crowd of visitors from Greece and abroad ’unfolds« before you. »In 2022, we surpassed 10,000 visitors, and this year, in January alone, we already had 1,250 people,« explains Elpida Palamida, the visitor coordinator, speaking to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency. »After New Year’s Day, there were days when we welcomed as many as 200 people a day,« she says enthusiastically.
At this time of year, at the Estate, you’re most likely to encounter visitors from Naoussa and neighboring prefectures, many Athenians during the holiday season, as well as workers in the restaurant and hotel industries on the islands, who take advantage of this time to take a vacation, while also seeking new suggestions for the wine lists at their establishments.
In contrast, during the summer—mainly from May through August—the number of foreign tourists increases. «We have Germans, French, Italians, and also many Americans,» notes Ms. Palamida, to whom winemaker Stellios Boutaris has entrusted this important aspect of the estate’s outreach.
Movies and theater under the full moon, electric bike rides, and picnics in the vineyard
While the necessary fermentation processes take place inside the barrels and tanks—processes that will produce the wine for the estate’s renowned labels— at one of the tables in the bustling restaurant, Elpida Palamida is ’fermenting« her ideas for new initiatives that will »marry« the world of wine with the marvelous world of nature and culture.
The Kir-Yianni Estate has become a year-round destination for wine lovers and anyone seeking a unique wine experience, through outdoor activities or cultural events, which are expected to be even more diverse this year. February featured many activities «rooted» in the region’s traditions and the famous “Genitsaroi and Boules” custom, March focuses on sustainability, while many interesting activities and events are constantly being added to the calendar.
One of the events that was very well received was the movie screening under the light of the full moon, on the hillside next to the winery, which this year will be expanded—weather permitting—to twice a month (Saturdays only), as Ms. Palamida explains, who admits that the movie nights, along with a one-act play by Chekhov performed by a group from Naoussa on a ’magical evening,« have left an indelible mark on her memory. The same goes for book presentations, poetry evenings, Karagiozis shadow puppet shows for children, and many other cultural events—always accompanied, of course, by a glass—or even several—of wine.
Nature lovers usually opt for a picnic in the vineyards or a ride on electric bikes, while anyone who wants to treat a friend to such an immersive experience need only give them a gift card, prepaying for something from the extensive «menu» of activities—which is constantly expanding—with the goal of ensuring that wine «meets» nature and culture at every turn.
Wine in the Naoussa region has a long history, with the earliest written records indicating that grapevines were being cultivated and wine produced as early as the 16th century. In such a region, deeply intertwined with wine culture, the Kir-Yianni wine tourism center operates in Giannakochori. For everyone who works there, however, wine «is not just what’s in the bottle and what we enjoy in our glass. It is history, tradition, culture, energy, a connection with nature, a way of life. It is the “KYR-GIANNIS experience.”».
These days, the «Kyri-Yianni» team is preparing for the world’s largest trade fair in the industry, which will bring together 6,000 exhibitors from 61 countries in Düsseldorf. It’s already «carrying» the excellent news it received earlier this month from the international «Mundus Vini Spring Tasting 2023» competition held there: five gold medals out of an equal number of entries. The «golden five» consisted of: TARSANAS Single Vineyard 2019, AGKATHOTO Single Vineyard 2021, NAOUSSA CUVÉE VILLAGES 2019, RAMNISTA 2018, and DIAPOROS Single Vineyard 2018.
