Manolesaki estate
In the small, modernly equipped winery of the family of Giorgos Manolesakis, they emphasize cultivation and the right techniques. The estate, which began its journey by planting classic foreign varieties in 1989, today, under the guidance of Stavros Manolesakis, turns to new crops of Greek varieties, such as Malagouzia, Moschato of Alexandria and Agiorgitiko. And the wines, produced under the supervision of oenologist Angelika Apostolakis, are rich, strict and concentrated. A representative wine of the philosophy of this winery, from the eight-member range, is the red Gennima Psychis, while the Malagouzia is also very noteworthy. Here hospitality is personal.
Oenops
OENOPSWINES is the newest winemaking company in the area of Drama. It was founded in 2015 by Nikos Karatzas, with the aim of producing quality wines in small quantities, following a search for quality plots and ambitious winegrowers in the area of Drama and Macedonia in general.
Estate of Kostas Lazaridis
In the area of Adriani, Costas Lazaridis has created a huge winery whose vineyard exceeds 1,800 acres. Another artistic winery, where even some of its labels are adorned with works of art. Here you will get your fill of images and experience: state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, distillery, impressive underground aging cellars and well-kept tasting rooms. Although the production of the winery is large, during its two decades of life it has managed to keep its wines at a high quality level. When it’s time to taste test between the wines of the Amethystos and Pyrgos Iulia series, produced at the winery in Drama, don’t miss tasting the top labels Château Julia Merlot and Cava Amethystos.
“Wine Art” Estate
Arriving at Mikrochori of Drama, you will meet the architectural culmination of the friendship of Yiannis Kalaitzidis and Yiannis Papadopoulos. Enviable vineyards on an area of more than 200 acres, provide the raw material for a winery that has state-of-the-art equipment, an excellent tool in the hands of the son of Yiannis Papadopoulos and oenologist, Akis Papadopoulos. But as impressive as the equipment, the vineyards and the winery itself, in the eyes of an amateur wine lover, the ultimate experience is the cellars: labyrinthine, decorated with exquisite paintings and exquisite chandeliers that diffuse their soft, atmospheric lighting into the space with countless barrels and the “library” of tilted bottles. This is the famous “wine archive”, which includes all the vintages in the history of the winery. The estate’s wines are classified into two series: Techni Alypias and Idysma Drios, with their main difference being whether or not they are aged in a barrel.
Pavlidis estate
Start your journey from the most minimalist winery in the area, before you are dazzled by the complex architectural achievements of the sequel. Admire its austere wine cellar, adorned with modern works of art, and take a deep breath in the clean aroma of wood emanating from its cellars. The winery in question is considered a classic value of Drama, or rather the whole of Greece, as it consistently produces quality wines with a distinct character. The vineyards, over 600 acres, supply the winery with fine grapes, where the Thema and Emphasis series are produced. Be sure to try the robust Assyrtiko, which has several differences from its Santorini version, and stop at the estate’s rosé, produced from the Spanish variety Tempranillo, rarely cultivated in Greece.
Château Nico Lazaridi
A special castle in harmony with the local element and placed in the heart of the central vineyard will be seen crossing the long and impressive alley. The history of this estate begins in the early 1980s, when Nikos Lazaridis decided to invest in a modern and state-of-the-art winery and a vineyard that, as is customary in the region, includes the well-known international varieties in an area that today reaches 650 acres . Before the formal tasting, a tour of the winery premises and a visit to the “Magic Mountain” art gallery, where exquisite modern works of art, which are the visual subjects of the labels, are definitely worth it.
Oinogenesis Estate
After a long journey as a key oenologist for other wineries, the experienced Bakis Tsalkos created his own estate, Oinogenesis, and in 2007 released the first wines under the Fengites brand. All areas of the winery are tasteful and functional and the tour is a must. Don’t miss to try the very interesting wine Thyrsus, a blend of Malagouzia and Viognier, which bears the signature of Ferelpido winemaker Alexandros Tsalkos, son of the winemaker. If you are a fan of semi-dry, enjoy the rosé Scherzo.
Michaelidis estate
Iordanis Michaelidis, viticulturist and owner of the winery in question, comes from a winemaking family. This is one of the smallest wineries in the area, with their own vineyard of around 100 acres and with crops of low yields per acre. Their wines, produced under the supervision of oenologist Katerina Karabatea, have a distinct style and character, but at the same time express the place and its peculiarities. You will try the Pyli series, which includes a white, a rosé and a red wine, all very valuable and based mainly on international varieties, but also Kleidi, a very interesting Malagouzia monovarietal winemaking.
