Dia Tyros kai Voutyrou
Small cheese and butter shop on Kentrikis street in central Veria, the capital of Imathia, listed on its Facebook page as a specialty grocery.
About Kefalograviera
A hard table cheese made from sheep milk, or sheep milk with up to 10 percent goat milk. Qualigeo says it derives from kefalotyri, dates from 1912 and was standardised in 1967. Greek ministerial decision 313032 of 11 January 1994 recognised the PDO and the EU registered it on 21 June 1996. The specification gives a cylinder of 4 to 6 kg or 10 to 12 kg with a thin, hard rind; Qualigeo describes a white paste with small holes that hardens after six months. Imathia, where Naoussa lies, is not in the PDO area; the cheese appears here because VAENI's Naoussa winery tour serves it with its paid tasting. VAENI's page does not say where it is made.
Made in: Ioannina, Thesprotia, Arta and Preveza in Epirus; Florina, Kozani, Kastoria and Grevena in Western Macedonia; Aetolia-Acarnania and Evrytania
On the plate
Qualigeo gives a pleasant, slightly salty taste and a somewhat strong aroma. English Wikipedia lists it in saganaki, fried in seasoned flour, and as a grating cheese for pasta.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Kefalograviera
Dry whites with high acidity Naoussa
Our pickGreek Wikipedia says kefalograviera, being on the salty side, looks for dry whites with good acidity. These dry, medium-bodied whites all have high acidity to meet its salt and strong aroma.
Full-bodied Naoussa PDO Xinomavro with medium acidity Naoussa
Our pickQualigeo serves the fresh cheese with red wine, and Greek Wikipedia points to the more acidic or robust reds, Xinomavro among them. These full-bodied Naoussa PDO Xinomavro reds have medium acidity and medium to high tannin.
Dry blanc de noir of Xinomavro Naoussa
Our pickVAENI's tour page lists Dogmatikos white, which it calls a dry wine from red grapes, among the three wines of its paid tasting, served with crackers and kefalograviera. Medium-bodied with medium acidity, it sits easily with a slightly salty cheese.
The grapes behind these winesXinomavroMalagousiaAssyrtikoChardonnay
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Cheese experiences nearby
Modiano Market
Thessaloniki's covered central market, in the gateway city rather than the wine region, reopened in September 2026 with 32 shops, among them a cheese and charcuterie counter and a small dairy making cheese.
VAENI winery tour with optional tasting and cheese
Cooperative winery tour of vineyard, winery, bottling line and cellar at Episkopi, with an optional paid tasting of three wines served with crackers and kefalograviera. Visits by arrangement.
Kefalograviera: questions
Is kefalograviera made around Naoussa?
Not under the PDO. Qualigeo lists Epirus, Western Macedonia, Aetolia-Acarnania and Evrytania, and Imathia is not among them. VAENI's winery tour at Episkopi, Naoussa, serves it with crackers alongside its paid tasting.
How is kefalograviera related to kefalotyri?
Qualigeo says kefalograviera derives from kefalotyri and originated in 1912, with production standardised in 1967.
How long is kefalograviera aged?
At least three months, according to Qualigeo; it stays soft in the first six months and then starts to harden.
How is kefalograviera eaten?
Qualigeo suggests the fresh cheese as an appetiser with red wine and bread; English Wikipedia describes it fried as saganaki and grated over pasta.
When was kefalograviera first protected?
Greek ministerial decision 313032 of 11 January 1994 recognised it as a PDO, according to the Greek application on eAmbrosia, and the EU registered the name on 21 June 1996.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Naoussa
Plan the trip
Visit Kefalograviera country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Booking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: protection register, www.qualigeo.eu, ec.europa.eu. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.