‘Great wines are made in the vineyard’
Kir-Yianni Estate was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, one of the leading figures in the Greek wine industry. Based in the two wine regions of Naoussa and Amyndeon, on the two sides of Mount Vermio in northwestern Greece, the winery continues a long family tradition focusing on the production of high quality wines which combine style with authenticity and offer true enjoyment. The winery is now run by the oldest son of Yiannis Boutaris, Stellios. The Estate in Naoussa, one of Greece’s leading AOC regions, is located in Yianakohori, at the highest point of the viticultural region, at an altitude of 280-330m. The creation of the Estate’s vineyard, the work of the founder, Yiannis Boutaris, spearheaded the revival of the prized Naoussa Appellation and paved the way for a whole new generation of winemakers, who have since then brought about the renaissance of Greek wine with their top-notch estate wineries. The unique microclimate of the vineyard, covering a total of 50 hectares, favors the cultivation of Xinomavro, the noble indigenous variety of northwestern Greece as well as that of cosmopolitan varieties such as Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, used to produce high quality red wines, suitable for long aging: Ramnista, Yianakohori, Syrah, Merlot, Dyo Elies. The «koula» or «konaki», the traditional watchtower at the heart of the family Estate, has become the emblem of the winery and today houses a modern wine-tasting room, exhibition facilities as well as the residence of the Boutari family. The Estate and winery at Amyndeon are located at the winemaking village of Aghios Panteleimon and on the shores of Lake Vegoritis, defined by the Kaimaktsalan and Vitsi mountains. Thanks to the efforts of the Kir-Yianni winery, Amyndeon, once a neglected wine region, is today recognized as one of the most promising AOC zones of Greece. The private vineyards are at an altitude of 700m and cover a total area of 16 hectares. At the same time, there are contracts with local producers for another 30 hectares. The region is characterized by a unique microclimate due to the high altitude and the four neighboring lakes. In the Amyndeon Estate, the international white varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Viognier and the indigenous varieties of Roditis, Assirtiko, Malagousia and Malvasia Aromatica are cultivated, producing four distinct wines: Tesseris Limnes, Samaropetra, Akakies and Paranga. «Good wines are made in the winery and great wines are made in the vineyard,» says Stellios Boutaris. He believes that during the next five years, Kir-Yianni will reach its true potential, through the use of the grapes from its new vineyards, and the know-how acquired during many years of research on the vine and the wine (Naoussa is the sole area of Greece where a clonal selection programme is applied). «Our vision is to maintain the potential of the Greek vineyard in general, and the Macedonian vineyard in particular, and to establish ourselves on the international map of wine-making. Our principle in Kir-Yianni is that innovation builds tradition! Putting emphasis on our local varieties, modern wine-making methods, a professional approach and consumer-friendly wines, I believe we can achieve our goals» says Stellios Boutaris. Following this path, the production of a new generation of wines, based on the Xinomavro variety, is already being planned for the next five years, and is, according to Stellios, anticipated to leverage the Kir-Yianni development onto an international level as well.
