Stymfalia SA (Legga dairy)
Family dairy at Kaliani, 700 m up in mountain Corinthia, making cheese since 1936: barrel-aged PDO feta, graviera, zireiotyri, anthotyro and mizithra, sold at a shop beside the plant.
About Zireiotyri
A hard, salty and lightly spicy cheese of mountain Corinthia, named after Mount Ziria, above Stymfalia. The All About Peloponnisos guide to Corinthia lists 'the local ziriotyri, hard and spicy' among the cheeses of the area's small dairies. Stymfalia SA at Kaliani makes it only from pasteurised sheep and goat milk and ripens it at least three months, in heads of 1 to 3 kg, plain or with pepper or oregano grains. It is a local type, not a protected name.
Made in: Mountain Corinthia, around Mount Ziria and Stymfalia
On the plate
Stymfalia calls it salty and spicy, with at least three months of ageing. It is sold as a table cheese and recommended for saganaki, cheese pies and grating over pasta.
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Zireiotyri
Unoaked Agiorgitiko Nemea
Our pickZireiotyri is hard, salty and lightly spicy, ripened at least three months. An Agiorgitiko raised without barrels keeps oak out of the way, so the wine's fruit meets the salt and spice directly.
The grapes behind these winesAgiorgitiko
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Cheese experiences nearby
Semeli Estate open wine tour with graviera
Guided tour of Semeli's winery and cellar with a four-wine tasting that the estate says comes with graviera cheese and crackers. Booking is mandatory and the estate is closed on Tuesdays.
Cheers & Cheese masterclass at Palivou Estate
Masterclass led by wine consultant and writer Eva Markaki pairing selected Palivou wines with cheeses, held on Saturday 5 September 2026 during the Great Days of Nemea.
Zireiotyri: questions
What is zireiotyri?
A hard, spicy cheese of mountain Corinthia whose name points to Mount Ziria. The All About Peloponnisos guide lists it as 'the local ziriotyri', ideal for saganaki and for grating.
What is it used for?
Stymfalia recommends it for saganaki, cheese pies and grating over pasta, and it is also eaten as a table cheese.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Nemea
Plan the trip
Visit Zireiotyri country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: stymfalia-sa.gr, www.allaboutpeloponnisos.com. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.