Petrakopoulos Robola of Kefalonia Classic 2019

Lemon colours of medium intensity and fresh aromas of white-fleshed fruits, mineral notes, with balanced acidity and an intense presence of peach, mounted by herb tones and a lasting aftertaste with a citrus character.

The Producer

The Melissinos family was one of the Byzantium’s most prominent families. Hailing from Emperor Michael Ragkavi, their members included Caesars, administrators of subdivisions, army officers, clergymen, etc.  After the fall of Constantinople, at around 1500 AD, Richardos Melissinos sought refuge in Kefalonia, where he became the forefather of this island’s great family. Significant public figures came from this branch, such as the Archbishop of Kefalonia & Zakynthos Avramios, as well as the prominent family of Melissinoi in Russia, established when Petros Melissinos was accepted for training with the first student body of the Saint Petersburg military school in 1740. This brave man restructured the Russian artillery, eventually being placed in charge of the entire artillery and decorated with the medal of knighthood. Another significant figure of the Russian family was commander Alexis Melissinos, Major General of the Hussar Regiment, who received the highest honors for his bravery.

The Solomos were one of the oldest families in Venice, with doge Pietro Centranico Salomon bearing this name since 1000 AD. In 1500 AD, as a reward for Giacomo Antonio Solomon’s capture of old Navarino, the family was given important fiefdoms throughout Kefalonia, while Aloisios Solomos was appointed as the island’s first Venetian commander. Other important figures of the family include Alexandros Solomos, founder of Kefalonia’s first theater in 1840, Nestoras Solomos, a militant and radical, representative of Kefalonia in the 1^st Greek Parliament after the unification of the Ionian Islands, and Marinos Solomos, an acclaimed jurist. His book, La Statistika Generale de la Isola de Kefalonia, is a reference for scholars of Kefalonia’s fiscal state during the British rule. Marinos’ descendant, Panagis Solomos, was one of Greece’s pioneers in information technology and labor organization, being one of the first to bring computers to the country. Panagis was also a wine-lover. He was involved in the cultivation of Kefalonia’s Zakynthino variety and had been bottling wine as personal and business gifts since the 1950s.

These two great families have been mentioned since the 1580s in the “Libro d’ Oro”, the book on the island’s nobility, bearing their personal crests.