GEROVASSILIOU

Macedonia

Gerovassiliou.gr

Few figures have shaped modern Greek wine as profoundly as Evangelos Gerovassiliou. As Master of Wine Konstantinos Lazarakis MW wrote in The Wines of Greece, Gerovassiliou is “regarded as one of the best winemakers in Greece and arguably one of the finest in Europe”. That reputation rests not only on the quality of his wines but also on his role in redefining what Greek wine could become.

Born into a grape-growing family in Epanomi, near Thessaloniki, Gerovassiliou studied agronomy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki before continuing his oenological education at the University of Bordeaux under the legendary Professor Émile Peynaud, widely considered the father of modern oenology. During the 1970s, while working at Domaine Porto Carras, he encountered an almost-forgotten Greek white grape: Malagousia.

At the time, Malagousia was on the brink of extinction. Recognising its extraordinary potential, Gerovassiliou began cultivating it in his family vineyard in Epanomi in 1981. Today, Malagousia is planted throughout Greece and prized for its intensely floral aromatics, bright acidity, and vibrant Mediterranean character. Yet many believe the variety still reaches its finest expression at Ktima Gerovassiliou in Epanomi.

The winery itself has become one of Greece’s benchmark estates. Set among more than 120 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards — featuring stunning views of Mount Olympus — Ktima Gerovassiliou combines indigenous Greek varieties with carefully selected international grapes to produce wines of precision, elegance, and longevity. Its Malagousia remains iconic: partially barrel-fermented and aged on lees, it balances texture and richness with lifted floral perfume and citrus freshness.

Gerovassiliou also demonstrated that Greece’s native grapes could produce world-class reds. Wines such as Gerovassiliou Red — a blend of Syrah, Merlot, and Limnio — combine depth, structure, and remarkable finesse, while Avaton, an age-worthy blend of Mavrotragano, Mavroudi, and Limnio, stands as proof that lesser-known Greek varieties can produce wines of genuine world-class stature in the hands of a visionary winemaker.

Beyond Epanomi, the ‘Gerovassiliou Midas Touch’ has helped reshape the broader Greek wine landscape. In 1998, he co-founded Ktima Biblia Chora with oenologist Vassilis Tsaktsarlis in Kavala, an estate now considered among the country’s finest. Later ventures included Ktima Dio Ipsi in the Peloponnese and Mikra Thira in Therasia, extending his influence across some of Greece’s most important wine regions.

Equally distinctive is the Gerovassiliou Wine Museum, located within the estate. It houses one of the world’s largest corkscrew collections — more than 2,600 pieces — alongside historic viticultural and winemaking artefacts, reflecting Gerovassiliou’s belief that wine is inseparable from culture and history.

Today, the second generation is deeply involved in the estate, particularly his son Argyris Gerovassiliou, who oversees viticulture and winemaking. Under the stewardship of the next generation, Ktima Gerovassiliou appears poised not only to preserve its legacy but to redefine it once again.