Each year, the American magazine Wine & Spirits announces its list of top 100 wineries in the world. The 2014 list features three Greek wineries: Gaia, Estate Argyros and Domaine Gerovassiliou.

The former tomato plant was renovated with taste and converted into the most industrial winery on the island of Santorini. The Gaia Winery (ancient Greek for earth) was founded in 1994 and is housed in a stone building of the last century. The wineries of Santorini take advantage of a unique ecosystem for the cultivation of the vine and a unique terroir, (due to the volcano), which is internationally recognized. Assyrtiko is the noblest white variety in Greece. It produces dry white wines with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Gaia winery is open for wine lovers from May to October.

The winery Estate Argyros was founded in 1903 by George Argyros, again on Santorini Island. Argyros, the senior, followed the traditional way of winemaking and his production was for domestic consumption only. Four generations later, Matthew Argyros kept the family tradition and expanded the business, exporting across the globe. The Argyros estate can be visited upon request. Next to the winery, the visitor can taste the handmade organic and fair trade chocolate, which is a mixture of Zotter chocolate, filled with drops of the local Vinsanto sweet wine and Rooibos herbal tea.

The taste of Vangelis Gerovassiliou turned the family vineyard into a wine culture center. This wine lovers’ paradise lies a few kilometers away from the city of Thessaloniki, Nothern Greece. For the past 30 years, Domain Gerovassiliou attracts not only wine but history connoisseurs as well. Gerovassiliou hosts a permanent exhibition with the global history of wine making. In addition, the Gerovassiliou personal collection posseses over 2,600 pieces, including corkscrews [vast collection], bottles, vases and replicas of objects used in ancient Greek symposia.

On 21 October, the magazine will host a wine-tasting night in San Francisco, with wines from the top 100 wineries, including the aforementioned. 

Greek wine Portal: www.greekwine.biz Read also: Article on the ‘Savatiano’ variety in the region of Attica