The rare red Xinomavro

Xinomavro… It means “sharp and black” in Greek. This is one of the world’s rarest noble red grapes originating from Northwestern Greece. Despite its sensitivity to suboptimal conditions and disease outbreaks, it is endowed with a divine talent for unforgettable wines.

Plant it at the wrong site and you end up with a poor and aggressive juice. Give it to the right hands and you experience something akin to the performance of a great dancer, who captivates a breathless spectator. One must know how to pick the right vineyard site and soil for Xinomavro: a place where the wind blows and the sun shines just right; a ground that keeps its moisture, but not too much of it.

Over the decades at Kir’Yianni Estate we have learned how to master Xinomavro. By the time each and every single berry ripens, it is filled entirely with all the sun, the wind, the water, and the earth of the season. Then we shall mature it in mild oak to adorn, but not conceal its body in an ethereal cloak.

And after the peaceful darkness of the cellar fulfills its last dream and desire, then our winemaker, who has taken care of it since the very first day of bud break, shall whisper to it “it’s show time now…” for the years to come.