Gai'a Agiorgitiko 2019/21

Agiorgitiko by Gaia is a well-structured wine with intense ripe fruit aromas and well-integrated oak flavors. Under proper cellar conditions, it can be aged 2-4 years after release, evolving an even more velvety and complex palate.

The wine is aged in French oak barrels for a term of 6 to 8 months. It is then transferred to the bottle and laid to rest and additional bottle aging for another 3 to 6 months before release.

The Producer

One of the pioneers of the modern Greek wine revolution, Gai’a Wines (pronounced Yay-ya) was established in 1994 by Leon Karatsalos and winemaker Yiannis Paraskevopoulos (PhD, University of Bordeaux II). Their mission was to capture the best that Greece’s indigenous grapes have to offer by merging traditional viticultural and production methods with innovative techniques. The estate is named after “Mother Earth,” in honor of the unique terroir that gives birth to these world-class wines.

Location of Vineyard

Operating two different wineries, Gai’a Wines makes cutting edge wines in both Santorini and Nemea. The boutique winery in Santorini is located in Monolithos on the east coast of the island. The buildings were converted from an old tomato processing plant, a remnant of the island’s artisanal agricultural history dating back to the early 19th century.  The volcanic soil, and unique climatic conditions of the Santorini vineyards provide the ideal environment for the native Assyrtiko grape to thrive.

The Nemea winery was built in 1997 in the heart of the estate vineyards located around the village of Koutsi. The subregion of Koutsi is a semi-mountainous area known for its chalky soils and good drainage. The cool temperatures, the ideal sun exposure and the steep inclination of the vineyards offer optimum conditions for concentrated, high-quality Agiorgitiko.

Winemaking Philosophy

Gai’a Wines is responsible for producing some of the most exciting wines of Greece, by merging traditional viticultural and production methods with innovative techniques. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, leading the charge of today’s new generation of internationally-trained winemakers, pushes the boundaries of Greek winemaking by experimenting with wild yeast fermentation and alternative materials for wine aging, and reinventing the formulas for some of Greece’s most historic wine styles.