annis Papargyriou of Papargyriou wines talking

The world would have been a better place if Yannis Papargyriou could have been Superman instead of Clark Kent. Pity, he doesn’t like Lois Lane (and it is Amy Adams too..)

Let’s get some things out of the way first. Yannis has all the makings of a cult winemaker. His wines sell out before they are even bottled! His production is really small. In fact his wine cellar is his basement! So, feel free to use the cliché “garagiste” here liberally.

His style is unique and he is not afraid to push the envelope. The whites are bottled in long tapering Riesling style bottles as a nod to his training in Geissenheim and the white wines are razor sharp and crystal clear like something from along the shore of the Rhine, but it is Assyrtiko, Moshoudi (a fragrant clone of Muscat) or Sauvignon Blanc. He grows grapes such as Touriga Nacional (a Portuguese grape) and Mavrodaphne, although he makes his Mavrodaphne in a dry version and manages to make a red wine that is simply amazing. He makes a firm argument that a dry Mavrodaphne can hold it’s place as one of the great red wine grapes of Greece (alongside Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko). Hope the powers that be in Patras is paying attention. The man is an iconoclast. Pity he doesn’t like Lois Lane!

This is the 3rd vintage of Yannis’ wines that we have brought across. Word of warning – his wines sell out fast. There is a whole bunch of people who keep asking me about the ETA on these wines. Grab them now. I can assure you they won’t last long. And get yourself a few bottles of the Roi de Montagne Cuvée. Drink a couple now. Open the rest in another 8-10 years if you can wait that long. You can thank me later.

The vineyards of Papargyriou are one of the oldest in the region. His father Aristides Papargyriou started the vineyards in 1978. Yannis’s wife Eleni is also an accomplished viticulturist from the University of Athens. His sons Dimitris and Alexandros also make wine. They are 10 and 13 years old! This estate has a great past and a bright future. And trust me on the Roi des Montagnes!

We decided to ask Yannis Papargyriou of Papargyriou Winery the following 5 questions:

Wine bottles of Papargyriou winery on table

1. If you were not a winemaker, who would you have been?

I would like to run a restaurant or wine bar.
2. When you are not drinking your wines, which wines do you prefer to drink?

Assyrtiko from Hatzidakis, Nemea Aivalis, Xinomavro Dalamaras. From the international wine scene, Riesling and Barolo. 

3. Who/What inspires you?

The challenge to make better wine than last year, in other words to surpass my best effort so far. 

4. What did you have for dinner last night? What wine did you drink with it?

Rabbit “stifado” (cooked with small onions in tomato sauce), paired with Le Roi des Montagnes Syrah 2014.

5. If you could be one of these two superheroes, would you be Superman or Batman?

Batman of course, I can’t stand Lois.

 

If you have any questions about Yannis’ wines or have any other questions such as what exactly he has against Lois Lane, shoot us an email.

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