The estates, domaines and châteaux worth the drive in Naoussa, from first growths to grower gems.
The estates, domaines and châteaux worth the drive in Naoussa, from classified growths to grower gems.
Founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris in Yiannakohori on the eastern slopes of Mount Vermio, Kir-Yianni works around 50 hectares of Naoussa PDO Xinomavro through microvinification and site-by-site blending.
Tip: The estate's wines are widely distributed, so a bottle is often an easier find than a booked visit.
Apostolos Thymiopoulos released his first vintage in 2005 after training in oenology, and now works ten separate Xinomavro bottlings from his base in Trilofos on the Vermio foothills.
Tip: Ten distinct Xinomavro expressions from one producer is an unusually good way to taste how much the grape varies by site.
Founded in 1879 by Ioannis Boutaris, the house's Naoussa winery sits in the Stenimachos area on Vermio's eastern edge, making Naoussa PDO Xinomavro since Merlot and Syrah joined the plantings in the 1980s.
Tasting: Not open to the public; the estate handles visit and trade inquiries by email only.
Tip: The winery itself does not receive visitors, so taste the wines at a Naoussa restaurant or retailer instead.
Now in its fifth generation, the Dalamara family farms Xinomavro organically at Paliokalias on Vermio's eastern foothills, a vineyard area worked since the 1840s, and runs a complete cellar-door visit.
Tasting: Guided cellar-door visit through the vineyard garden, fermentation tanks, bottling area and ageing vault, ending in a tasting hall built around the family's traditional wine tools; tsipouro and olives served on request.
Tip: The visit route ends with a tasting among the family's old winemaking tools rather than a generic tasting counter.
The growers' cooperative behind much of the appellation's output, VAENI Naoussa has worked from Episkopi since 1984, bottling Naoussa, Naoussa Reserve and Grande Reserve alongside PGI wines from Merlot and Syrah.
Tasting: Guided tours through the cooperative's cellar, with an on-site exhibition space and retail shop.
Tip: The on-site shop is a practical way to taste across the full Naoussa, Reserve and Grande Reserve range in one stop.
Founded in 1992 four kilometres outside Naoussa town in the Nea Strantza area, Domaine Foundi, registered as Fountis Nikolaos, farms mostly Xinomavro alongside small plantings of Merlot and Malvasia Aromatica.
Tasting: Open to visitors; the estate is a member of the Wine Roads of Northern Greece programme.
Tip: Being a Wine Roads of Northern Greece member means the cellar is set up for casual drop-in visitors, not just appointments.
Based twelve kilometres from town in the hillside village of Rodochori at 540 metres, Argatia bottles a Naoussa PDO Xinomavro alongside PGI whites and reds from Malagousia, Assyrtiko, Negoska and Mavrodaphne.
Tasting: Open to visitors at the winery in Rodochori.
Tip: The Malagousia and Assyrtiko whites are a useful contrast to the region's Xinomavro-only PDO reds.
Established in 1918 by cooper Dimitris Melitzani and now run by the third and fourth generations, Ktima Melitzani farms 2.2 hectares of organic Xinomavro on Gastra hill, one of the appellation's prime sites.
Tip: A century of continuous family ownership on a single named hillside is rare even by Naoussa standards.
A small Naoussa producer based in the Mantemi area, Diamantakos bottles Xinomavro under the Naoussa PDO while framing its work around the appellation's indigenous viticultural heritage.
Tip: The estate's trilingual site (Greek, English, French) points to an export-minded outfit despite its small size.
Farming in the Strantza area since the family's roots there in 1948, Ktima Chrisohoou makes Naoussa PDO Xinomavro through patient barrel ageing, alongside an events programme run from the same estate.
Tasting: Hosts weddings, baptisms and conferences alongside wine visits at the Strantza estate.
Tip: The estate doubles as an events venue, so a visit can coincide with a wedding or conference on-site.
Based in the Dalamari area of Naoussa, Kokkinos Winery bottles a Naoussa PDO Xinomavro alongside a wider PGI Imathia range that runs from a Xinomavro-Merlot red blend to Roditis and Malagousia whites.
Tip: The Petinos range is the entry point into the wider PGI Imathia bottlings if the PDO Xinomavro is sold out.
Peak wine-travel season in Naoussa is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Naoussa rewards trust.