Vourvoukeli Estate, Avdira, Thrace

Nikos and Flora Vourvoukeli knew of the lost history of winemaking in Avdira, on the coast of Thrace. Viticulture had flourished in this hilly region since antiquity and was referenced by the great lyric poet Pindar, and through to the Byzantine era but had been wiped out by phylloxera. In 1999 the family began to realise their vision of reviving the famous Avdira vineyard and they planted 2ha of their fertile hills with indigenous and international grape varieties. This gradually thrived and developed into a privately owned 12-hectare vineyard, which is cultivated organically. Their focus is on producing rare and ancient local varieties, such as Limnio and Mavroudi, as well as varieties from other parts of Greece, such as Malagouzia and Assyrtiko.