redaka Xinomavro, Ksinomavro
The grape Naoussa PDO exists for. Greek law reserves the PDO label for wine made entirely from Xinomavro, whose name, sour-black, undersells wines that carry firm tannin and high acid through decades of ageing.
In the glass: Bright, relatively pale red in colour despite the name, with firm tannins and a tight structure. The aroma and flavour range runs to red fruit, flowers, tomato, olive, dried prunes, tobacco and nuts, with wood ageing adding spice. Wines are typically released at a minimum of two years old and are built to improve well beyond that, a profile that has led critics to compare top examples to Nebbiolo-based Barolo.
redaka Negoska
A softer red whose name nods to Negush, the old name for Naoussa, though its home is Mount Paiko in neighbouring Kilkis, where it tones down Xinomavro in Goumenissa reds. Argatia plants it here for contrast.
In the glass: Dark and fruity, with medium acidity and medium tannin, leaning toward rounded, chocolatey notes that soften Xinomavro's grip when the two are blended.
redaka Merlot
An international red planted alongside Xinomavro by several Naoussa estates since the 1980s, outside the PDO boundary under PGI Imathia. Boutari planted it at its Naoussa winery; VAENI and Foundi bottle it too.
In the glass: Soft, plush tannins and dark-fruit richness that fill out a blend or stand as a varietal red, a deliberate contrast to Xinomavro's leaner, higher-acid PDO profile.
redaka Syrah, Shiraz
Planted at Boutari's Naoussa winery alongside Merlot in the 1980s and used by the VAENI cooperative in its PGI Macedonia range, Syrah in Naoussa sits entirely outside the PDO, which is reserved for Xinomavro alone.
In the glass: Deep colour, peppery spice and dark fruit that read as a warmer, more international counterpoint to the appellation's Xinomavro reds.
whiteaka Malagousia, Malagouzia
An aromatic Greek white revived from near-extinction and now planted by Argatia in Rodochori alongside its Naoussa PDO Xinomavro, bottled as a PGI white since the PDO admits red Xinomavro alone.
In the glass: Aromatic and expressive, with stone fruit, citrus blossom and herb notes and enough weight on the palate to carry oak or lees ageing when a producer chooses it.
whiteaka Assyrtiko
Best known from volcanic Santorini, Assyrtiko also turns up on the mainland: Argatia plants it in Rodochori as a PGI white beside its Naoussa PDO red, a cooler-climate take on a grape usually tied to the Aegean.
In the glass: High natural acidity and a mineral, saline edge, with citrus and stone-fruit character that shifts with site and climate away from its island home.