Giannikos Winery

General information

1896 was the year when the Giannikos family planted their first vines in the rich soil of ancient Mycenae, the birthplace of Greek viticulture almost 4,000 years ago. Generations of this family lovingly nurtured and meticulously tended their vines on the estate dominated by the ruins of the palace of the Trojan warrior, King Agamemnon.
In 1996, exactly one hundred years after the foundation of the estate, a devastating fire burnt the old
buildings to the ground.

Driven by the enthusiasm of youth and the legacy of his ancestors, Michalis regenerated the independent family business like a phoenix arising from the ashes of its predecessor. While retaining the most ancient of grape types, Roditis, from Mycenae, the uniquely indigenous Agiorgitiko exclusive to Nemea and the shortly before recovered Malagouzia, Michalis planted new international varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier, selected from the best clones direct from quality French nurseries. He decided, in order to produce high quality wines to follow strictly the rules of biological production. Today all his wines are biological certificated and controlled by DIO, the organization for controlling and certification of biological products in Greece.

Although the grapes are still hand-picked and the vines pruned by hand, the new winery harmonizes tradition with technology. The bespoke minimalist cellar is lined with French oak barrels kept at a strictly controlled temperature perfect for the aging process. Young wines are stored in modern stainless steel tanks and bottling is carried out on the premises. The expert advice of the experienced
oenologist and her French husband, a wine taster originating from Bordeaux, is always welcome.

2009 saw the first exports of Giannikos wines, and in 2012, the first gold and silver awards were received followed by many other awards at international competitions such as AWC Vienna, Austria or Millesime Bio, France.

With his focus on single varietal wines, Michalis is able to show the greatness of the indigenous Greek varieties and the many awards he has received are proof of the high quality of the wines he produces.

The winery is open for visitors upon request.