Rouvalis Winery, Aigialeia, Peloponnese

Rouvalis Winery was founded in 1990 by Angelos Rouvalis and today the winery is run by his daughter Theodora Rouvalis and her husband, Antonio Ruiz Pañego, who are both trained oenologists having gathered professional experience in Chile, New Zealand, and Burgundy. The couple cultivate both indigenous and international grape varieties, and they aim to produce authentic, harmonious, and value-oriented wines that express the unique terroir of the slopes of Aigialeia. These slopes are situated in the northern Peloponnese, about 170km west of Athens, in the mountainous region above the town of Aigion. They are uniquely beautiful, with terraced vineyards overlooking the Corinthian Gulf. This is also one of the very few northfacing regions in Greece, so the vines benefit from a cooling northerly breeze in the summer and are further protected by the high east-west mountain ridge of the central Peloponnese, which acts as a natural barrier against hotter winds from the south. The soil is fertile and well-drained because of its inclination. The vineyards are at high altitude, 500 - 1,050 metres above sea level, with an important differential in temperatures between day and night, which creates the perfect conditions for growing high-quality fruit in a hot climate. Finally, the slopes are very steep and near to the sea, and the air currents prevent diseases developing, creating conditions favourable to organic viticulture.