Vineyards in Koutsi

GAIA Wines ★ 4.7

PDO NemeaAgiorgitiko, Assyrtiko, Moschofilero, Vertzami, Syrah7.0 haFounded 1994Koutsi

Gaia began in 1994 and runs two cellars, one at Koutsi in Nemea and one on Santorini. The 7 hectare Koutsi vineyard feeds the Gaia Estate Agiorgitiko.

Tasting: Visits by arrangement. Tank and barrel tastings, winery, vineyard and cellar tours, step free access.

Gofas Winery ★ 4.0

PDO NemeaAgiorgitiko, Kydonitsa, Malagousia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Gris, SyrahGofas familyKoutsi

Konstantinos Gofas took over the family cellar in 1998 and moved it in 2011 to Koutsi, inside the estate vineyard beside the Asopos river.

Tasting: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, walk in or by appointment. Tasting, cellar tour, meals and a shop.

Ktima Driopi ★ 4.4

PDO NemeaAgiorgitikoDomaine TseleposKoutsi

The Nemea arm of Domaine Tselepos, planted at Koutsi and given over entirely to Agiorgitiko for the Driopi bottlings.

Tasting: The winery does not receive visitors.

Semeli Estate ★ 4.5

PDO NemeaAgiorgitiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, Roditis, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, SyrahFounded 1979Koutsi

Semeli started in 1979 at the foot of Mount Penteli and built its Nemea winery at Koutsi in 2003, at 600 metres, with a gravity fed cellar and visitor rooms.

Tasting: Tours Monday to Friday except Tuesday at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30; Saturday and Sunday at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00.

Sofia tis Fysis ★ 4.0

PDO NemeaAgiorgitiko, Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Roditis8.0 haFounded 2005ORGANIC CERTIFIEDKoutsi

Set up in 2005 on eight hectares of organically farmed Agiorgitiko, with a processing unit completed in 2006 on the slopes of Koutsi above the Nemea valley.

Tasting: By appointment. Tasting, winery and vineyard tour, meals, shop, step free access.

Tasting Rooms in Koutsi

Semeli Estate Tasting Room ★ 4.6

Agiorgitiko, Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, Cabernet SauvignonPDO Nemea Agiorgitiko alongside PDO Mantinia Moschofilero and estate-grown international varietiesAppointment onlyKoutsiMon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00. Closed Tue and public holidays.

Hillside tasting room at 600 metres in Koutsi, pouring PDO Nemea and PDO Mantinia labels after a walk through the gravity-fed cellar. Booking is required.

Tip: The estate closes on Tuesdays and on public holidays, and visitors must be over 12, so fix the slot before you drive up from Nafplio.

GAIA Wines Nemea Tasting Room ★ 4.7

Agiorgitiko, AssyrtikoAgiorgitiko from Koutsi poured beside Assyrtiko from the company's Santorini cellarAppointment onlyKoutsiWed-Sun 10:30-16:30. Closed Mon-Tue.

Koutsi cellar door where a vineyard walk and cellar tour end in flights that set Nemea Agiorgitiko against the company's Santorini Assyrtiko. Bookings are taken online.

Tip: The €70 premium flight closes with a twenty-year-old Vinsanto, the only bottle in the range that is not from the Peloponnese.

Wine Restaurants in Koutsi

Semeli Estate Wine and Dine ★ 4.5

Peloponnesian, built around the estate's own labelsKoutsiMon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00. Closed Tue and public holidays.

Dining room inside the Semeli winery at Koutsi, where the Wine and Dine programme puts estate bottlings next to a Peloponnesian menu over the vineyard.

The list: Wine and Dine sittings pair the estate's PDO Nemea and PDO Mantinia labels with a kitchen menu, served in a room looking over the Koutsi vineyards

Tip: Wine and Dine is one of five separate visit programmes on the estate's booking page, so name it rather than asking for a tasting.

GAIA Wines Village Flavors ★ 4.4

Peloponnesian country cooking by chef Konstantinos Georgiou with Feel The RootsKoutsiWed-Sun 10:30-16:30. Closed Mon-Tue.

Two-hour paired lunch at the GAIA cellar in Koutsi, cooked by Konstantinos Georgiou with the Feel The Roots team and served against the estate's own labels.

The list: A two-hour paired lunch matching GAIA's Nemea and Santorini labels course by course

Tip: Village Flavors is an add-on to the standard visit and has to be requested when booking, not on the day.

Wine Retailers in Koutsi

Ktima Gofas Cellar Door ★ 4.1

AgiorgitikoKoutsiTue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Closed Mon.Current releases plus older vintages the estate holds back after they sell out on the open market

Sales room at the Gofas winery near the Asopos river, where the reception hall doubles as a standing exhibition of painting and sculpture.

Tip: This is one of the few counters in the zone that still lists back vintages no longer available through the trade.

Wine Hotels in Koutsi

Hidden Gems in Koutsi

Gofas Winery ★ 4.2

Agiorgitiko, Kydonitsa, Malagousia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Gris, SyrahKoutsiTue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Walk in or by appointment.

A Koutsi cellar that doubles as a gallery: the reception room holds a permanent collection of painting and sculpture, and the underground cave keeps back vintages that have sold out everywhere else.

Why locals love it: The estate ran an international wine label art competition and hung the results, so a tasting here comes with a small museum attached.

Tip: Ask to go down to the underground cave. Old vintages that have gone from the market are sold from there by the bottle.

Dietary in Koutsi

Sofia tis Fysis ★ 4.1

Agiorgitiko, RoditisFounded 2005ORGANIC CERTIFIEDKoutsi

A family holding at Koutsi that converted its land to organic farming in 1998 and turns Agiorgitiko and Roditis into certified grape vinegars, balsamic and petimezi rather than wine, with tours and tastings on site.

Tip: The oldest plot dates from 1888 and is still in production. The balsamic spends three years in French oak before release.

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