Anatolikos Vineyards

Anatolikos Vineyards

GRAPE WRANGLER/S:
Marios & Sakis Nikolaidis
LOCATED IN:
Avdira, Xanthi, Thrace
LAND HELD:
70 stremmata
HOW HIGH:
50m - 70m
TERROIR TYPE:
sandy hills with rocky subsoil at a distance of 3 km from the sea
GRAPES GROWN:
assyrtiko, limnio, malagousia, mavroudi, muscat of alexandria, cabernet sauvignon, merlot
PRACTICE IS:
organic (bio hellas), low-intervention
YEARLY BOTTLES:
60000

Founded in 2005 by brothers Sakis and Marios Nikolaidis, Anatolikos Vineyards sits at the far north-eastern edge of Greece, on the sandy coastal hills of Avdira, near Xanthi in Thrace.

The Nikolaidis brothers approached the revival of the Avdira area (an appellation that had been devastated by phylloxera with a decades-long revival resulting in PGI status in 2000) with a rare intensity of purpose. Every stage of the work, from vine to bottle, is treated as a family undertaking rather than a business transaction, and that closeness shows in the wines themselves. Just two to three kilometres from the Thracian Sea, their vineyards benefit from a distinctive microclimate: sandy, free-draining soils, constant cooling winds off the water, and a striking 13–15°C swing between day and night temperatures that preserves acidity and deepens the aromatic complexity of their grapes.

Today Anatolikos Vineyards releases around nine labels, many built around Mavroudi, the dark indigenous grape whose revival in Thrace the brothers have championed, alongside other native and international varieties suited to the terroir. Their commitment to low-intervention, natural winemaking has earned recognition well beyond Thrace, including medals at international competitions such as the Berlin Wine Trophy and multiple honours at the Olymp Awards. In little more than two decades, Anatolikos Vineyards has transformed a nearly forgotten corner of the Greek wine map into one of the country's most quietly compelling natural wine estates.

visit the winery here

THEIR WINES