Top experience close to Thessaloniki: wine tasting with Mount Olympus view
What to do in the greater area of Thessaloniki? Surely one of the most enjoyable activities is to visit Ktima Gerovassiliou, one of the best wineries in all of Greece. Just a 15-minute drive from Thessaloniki Airport, you will find yourself surrounded by vineyards, works of art and you can enjoy an excellent glass of wine with Mount Olympus at the background, the mountain of the Greek Gods.
If you are a wine lover, you cannot help but visit this well-kept and renowned place. There is an open-air museum with works of art and an underground museum with one of the largest collections of corkscrews in the world.
Epanomi area has an ideal microclimate that favors wine production
The greater area of Thessaloniki where the wine production takes place is called Epanomi, about 25 km south-east from the city of Thessaloniki, towards the peninsula of Halkidiki. The vineyard is surrounded on three sides by the sea, which is about 4 km away, and it is located in front of Mount Olympus. Epanomi is a small country village surrounded by hills covered with olive trees and a variety of crops.
Epanomi has distinctive microclimatic characteristics thanks to the Mediterranean climate, that is generally a moderate winter and a hot summer, softened by the sea breeze. It is said that even 1,500 years ago, the area was already known for the production of wines.
History of Ktima Gerovassiliou: from 1981 until today a continuous success
It all began in 1981 with the purchase of the first hectares of land by Mr. Evangellos Gerovassiliou and the first vinification took place in 1986. Since then, the tradition and passion of wine has been handed down to the children who currently manage the company.
Production has been extended over the years with the addition of pneumatic presses, special stainless steel containers for fermentation, wooden barrels stored in two underground rooms at a constant temperature and an ultra-modern bottling and labeling system.
In 2014, a new building was completed which functions as a visitor reception, shop, bar and restaurant.
Dive in the excellently cared for vineyards that produce many wine varieties
The vineyards of Ktima Gerovassiliou are cultivated with meticulous care and enthusiasm to ensure constant research and testing of new varieties of Greek and foreign wines, and with the use of state of the art technologies. The goal is in fact to produce high quality wines.
The spearhead is certainly the Greek variety called Malagousia, rediscovered from the distant past and revived. Other Greek varieties of white and red wines are Assyrtiko, originally from the island of Santorini, Limnio, Mavroudi, Mavrotragano and Xinomavro. In addition to local wines, French varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Merlot are also grown.
Find yourself in an open air museum: the guided tour begins between the famous sculptures
At Ktima Gerovassiliou you have the opportunity to enter in the world of viticulture, thanks to a guided tour. The tour includes a guided tour of the vineyards, where one can admire some famous works of art, the nit moves on to the wine production and its bottling and ends at the spectacular wine museum.
Many people visit Ktima Gerovassileiou just to admire the works of art scattered among the vineyards. You will feel like you are in an open-air museum. Beyond the enchanting context, since you are surrounded by vineyards and tranquility, the presence of sculptures makes the place even more special.
Keep in mind that we are talking about works of art of considerable value and created by very famous Greek and Italian artists. Maybe names like Costas Varotsos, or Michalis Katzourakis or George Zongolopoulos don’t ring a bell, but in Greece they are very well known. Zongolopoulos for example, is the artist who created the umbrella sculpture on the Thessaloniki waterfront that is photographed by everyone walking by!
That is where you can see one of the biggest and refined collections of corkscrews worldwide
Parallel to the production of wine, Mr. Evangellos Gerovassiliou has had the aspiration to start collecting tools of all kinds, used in the world of viticulture.
In particular, I would like to highlight the collection of corkscrews that began in 1980 and which today has more than 2,600 pieces! Apart from the incredible number of the corkscrews (among the largest in the world), you can find unique and rare items, even from the eighteenth century. The largest part of the collection has to do with international corkscrews, divided between mechanical and non-mechanical. However, there is no shortage of corkscrews with a unique style, according to the artistic movements of the various historical moments. I was struck by the corkscrews hidden inside common objects that were used during the Prohibition era.
The museum is located in the heart of Ktima Gerovassileiou, adjacent to the cellars and the tasting room, and was even inaugurated by the President of Greece of that period, Mr. Karolos Papoulias. In addition to the collection of corkscrews, which in my opinion is the one that strikes the most, inside you will find a variety of bottles, jars and utensils of all kinds, some that recall ancient Greece. You will learn fascinating stories of the past, both economic and social, and of the significance of wine over the years. Texts and photographs will accompany you along the way.
Quality wine tasting with accompaniments in relaxing surroundings
The experience at Ktima Gerovassiliou ends with a tasting of the best wines. You can choose which specific wine to taste or you can rely on the experienced staff’s advice. There are combinations that are accompanied by very refined homemade tastings, from octopus to meat, from cheeses to fruit.
The bar-restaurant is well presented, the quality of the wines is to be taken for granted and the food is also very delicious. There is a truly beautiful outdoor terrace from which you can enjoy an exciting view of Mount Olympus. It is certainly a pleasant experience and that you can easily combine during a holiday, especially if you have some free time before boarding a plane, given its proximity to Thessaloniki airport.
For more information on opening hours and guided tours, you should visit their official website directly: https://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/visits/useful-information
