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Time. Altitude. Soul.

XinomavroXinomavro is the grand red of Northern Greece — complex, age-worthy, and utterly uncompromising.

Its name means “sour black,” but don't let that fool you: what lies in the glass is subtlety, structure, and a story told over years.

Most famously grown in Naoussa and Amyntaio, Xinomavro is often compared to Nebbiolo for its high acidity, firm tannins, and capacity to evolve gracefully with time.

But it remains unmistakably Greek — expressing wild strawberry, tomato leaf, olive, dried herbs, and mountain earth.

🍷In The Glass

  • Dry red, medium to full-bodied
  • Aromas: sun-dried tomato, red currant, black olive, bay leaf
  • Aging potential: very high (10–20 years in top cuvées)
  • Pairings: game, tomato-based stews, slow-cooked lamb, smoked cheeses

🍇Origin & Terroir

  • Native to: Naoussa, Amyntaio, Goumenissa, Rapsani
  • Thrives in: cool altitudes, limestone & schist soils
  • Signature style: savory, structured, elegant with aging potential

💡Did you know?

  • Xinomavro is the base of Greece’s first PDO red wine (Naoussa)
  • It’s often made as a single varietal, but can also be blended (e.g., with Negoska in Goumenissa)
  • Its complexity makes it a favorite among collectors and sommeliers

Lefki says:
“Xinomavro is like a mountain poem — patient, austere, and unforgettable.”

🍇 Discover Greek Grape Varieties

📚 Wine Word Origins

🍾 Retsina → From ‘ῥητίνη’ (retini)
Named after the pine resin once used to seal amphorae and later became part of the flavor — an ancient tradition still alive today.

🏺 Oinos → From Mycenaean Linear B
The ancient word for wine.

🍇 Ampelos → From ‘ἄμπελος’
The Greek word for vine — source of the term ampelography, the study of grape varieties.

🌿 Symposion → From ‘σύν’ (together) + ‘πίνειν’ (to drink)
Not just a drinking party, but a ritualized gathering — the birthplace of philosophical dialogue over shared cups.

🍷 Krater → From the Greek ‘κρατήρ’
A large vessel used to mix wine with water during symposia — the heart of ancient wine culture.

🎁 Featured Wine-Themed Gifts

📖 “Did You Know?” Greek Wine Facts

Agiorgitiko is known as the “Blood of Hercules” in myth.

Xinomavro is often called the “Barolo of Greece” — bold, complex, and built to age.

Malagousia was nearly lost — until a winemaker’s instinct brought this aromatic gem back to life.

Vidiano is Crete’s rising white star — once nearly extinct, now hailed as Greece’s next great white grape.

Assyrtiko is one of the few white grapes that can age gracefully for decades.

Savvatiano is Greece’s most planted grape — and it thrives in the heat where other grapes fade.

In Greek, “moscho” means fragrant, and it lives up to Moschofilero's name.

Contact us

GW The Greek wine routes

  (+30) 694 70 93 331

   sales@gw-wineroutes.com

   www.gw-wineroutes.com

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