Darkness had arrived when we reached the Wine Art Estate in Mikrohori, Drama. The creation of the Wine Art Estate began in 1993 when two friends, Yannis Papadopoulos, a civil engineer and Yannis Kalaitzidis, an architect decided to further explore their passion for wine. It was their passion for wine that led them to develop a winery, located near Mount Pangaion. Wine making in this area dates back to ancient times, as indicated by the nearby ruins of the Sanctuary of Dionysus. According to Greek mythology Dionysus (the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theatre) once inhabited this area.
Wine Art Estate
The Wine Art Estate, our second stop on The Wine Route of Dionysus, was an introduction to the Darma wine region. While at the Wine Art Estate we toured the winery, did a wine tasting, and concluded with an awesome dinner. The dinner was prepared for us by one of the winery owners who loves to cook. Yes, it was a wine and food experience that would even tempt Dionysus.
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| Dinner, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Our Wine Art Estate visit began with a brief tour of the winery. During the tour we visited the tanks and wine cellar areas.
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| Tank Area, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
The winery's underground cellar is housed in a tunnel, which connects two buildings, on other side of a road. The winery consists of two main buildings. Each of the buildings has a tower that has described as, adding architectural aesthetics and balance. However, given we visited a night it was not possible to observe.
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| Barrel Room, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
What I did observe however, is that the winery is well equipped with state of the art technology. One example is the use of technology that allows for careful monitoring during the wine making process.
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| Computerized Monitoring, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Wine Tasting at the Wine Art Estate
The Wine Art Estate is located in PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) Drama wine region, which was established in 1995. PGI Drama produces the following wine types: white (dry, medium dry, medium sweet and sweet), rosé (dry, medium dry, medium sweet and sweet), and red (dry, medium dry, medium sweet and sweet). The permitted grape varieties include: Assyrtiko, Roditis, Malagousia, Muscat of Alexandria, Robola, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Trebbiano, Viognier, Agiorgitiko, Lemnio, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Refosco, Syrah, and Tempranillo.
During our wine tasting we introduced to three wine series. The first wine series, Techni Alipias includes white, red and rosé wines. In 2011 the winery added Techni Malagousia to the wine portfolio. Their second wine series, Idisma Drios "sweetly naked" includes single-varietal wines. The winery also vinifies a limited edition of wines, such as Nebbiolo and Touriga Nacional.
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| Wine Tasting, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
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| Tasting Wine Art Estate Wines © Spaswinefood |
Our wine tasting included:
Techni Alipias/Techni Wine Series
1. Techni Alipias White, PGI Drama 2015
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Wine Art Estate, Techni Alipias White, PGI Drama 2015 © Spaswinefood
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2-4. Techni Alipias/Techni White Wines: Alipias White PGI Drama 2015, Techni Malagousia PGI Madedoncia 2014, and Techni Assyritko PGI Drama 2011
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| Wine Art Estate, Techni Alipias/Techni White Wines © Spaswinefood |
5. Techni Alipias Rosé, PGI Drama 2014
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| Wine Art Estate, Techni Alipias Rosé, PGI Drama 2014 © Spaswinefood |
6. Techni Alipias Red, PGI Drama 2012
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| Techni Alipias Red, PGI Drama 2012 © Spaswinefood |
Idisma Drios Wine Series
7. Idisma Drios Assyrtiko, PGI Drama 2014
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| Wine Art Estate, Idisma Drios Assyrtiko, PGI Drama 2014 © Spaswinefood |
8. Idisma Drios Chardonnay, PGI Drama 2014
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| Wine Art Estate, Idisma Drios Chardonnay, PGI Drama 2014 © Spaswinefood |
9. Idisma Drios Merlot, PGI Drama 2011
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| Wine Art Estate, Idisma Drios Merlot 2011 © Spaswinefood |
10. Idisma Drios Syrah, PGI Drama 2010
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Wine Art Estate, Idisma Drios Syrah, PGI Drama 2010 © Spaswinefood
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Limited Edition Wines
9. Touriga Nacional 2012
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Wine Art Estate Touriga Nacional 2012 © Spaswinefood
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10. Wine Art Estate, Nebbiolo 2009
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| Wine Art Estate, Nebbio 2009 © Spaswinefood |
Our tasting was a great introduction to the wines produced at the Wine Art Estate. We also had the opportunity to sample some of the wines during dinner. As I noted earlier, dinner was prepared by one of the winery owners. What impressed me most during our Northern Greece wine safari was the opportunity to dine with those directly involved in wine making. When you taste wines, and dine with family members you know, there is something special happening. The hospitality at the Wine Art Estate was amazing.
Dining at the Wine Art Estate
Our dinner that evening began with a Caprese Salad.
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| Caprese Salad, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Second course
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| Roasted Zuccini, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
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| Octopus, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Third Course
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| Eggplant, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
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| Risotto, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Fourth Course
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| Roasted Peppers, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
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| Closer Look at Roasted Peppers, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
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| Steak, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Yes, there was dessert and wine.
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| Desert Time, Wine Art Estate © Spaswinefood |
Clearly, we not only tasted some good wines that evening but also, we were treated to a great dinner at the Wine Art Estate. What a fabulous day it was to end our day on The Wine Route of Dionysus at the Wine Art Estate. Later we checked into an hotel in Drama for a much needed rest. Rumor has it that a Greek goddess/god will be calling me soon to taste more wines. Spaswinefood is so looking forward to future explorations along the Wine Roads of Northern Greece. I invite you to join me in my travels in Greece and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
Sharon
October 2015
Drama, Greece
© Spaswinefood
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Note: This expense paid Press Trip was sponsored by #dwcc15 and #NorthGRTrip
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