Boutari Winery Naoussa

How to Complete

3 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. 📜 1

   Stand in the Winery That Saved Xinomavro From Oblivion

   history Free

   In the 1960s and 70s, Greek growers were ripping out Xinomavro to plant Merlot and Cabernet. One family refused.

   Ioannis Boutaris founded this winery in 1879 - making it the FIRST winery in Naoussa. But the real act of preservation came generations later, when the rest of Greece was abandoning Xinomavro for international varietals. The next generation of Boutaris family saw potential in the native red nobody wanted. Without that stubbornness, the grape that now gets compared to Barolo and earns Decanter gold medals might have been replaced by a vineyard of Merlot. You're standing at the entrance to the historic cellar where that decision was made. Find the 'Boutari Legacy 1879' bottle in the tasting room - it's named to commemorate that founding year. Hold it. 145 years of unbroken commitment to one grape, one region.

   🔄 BACKUP: Ask: 'When did Xinomavro almost disappear from Naoussa?' Watch the answer reveal how close the region came to losing its entire identity.

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2. 🍷 2

   Taste the Xinomavro That Started the Greek Wine Revolution

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   The benchmark: 145 years of production from the grape everyone else abandoned.

   When Xinomavro is poured at the Boutari tasting room (typically €10-15 for a standard flight), note the COLOR. It's lighter than Cabernet or Merlot - more Pinot Noir than Barolo in the glass. Now taste it. The tannins hit differently than anything from Burgundy or Bordeaux: drying, grippy, demanding. The acidity is savage. This is NOT a crowd-pleasing wine. It rewards patience - both in the glass (let it breathe 30 minutes) and in the cellar (the best vintages need 7-15 years). A wine this demanding survived because ONE family refused to give up on it. Ask to taste side-by-side: their entry-level Naoussa vs their reserve. The difference in tannin integration tells the entire story of what aging does to Xinomavro.

   🔄 BACKUP: If only one wine is poured, ask for a splash of water in your glass - traditional Naoussa taverna style. The dilution softens the tannins and reveals the fruit underneath.

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3. 📜 3

   Locate the Historic Cellar Vintages

   Optional

   history Free

   The evidence that Naoussa wines age as well as any in Europe.

   Boutari has been producing Naoussa Xinomavro since 1879. The historic cellar holds vintages stretching back decades. A well-aged Naoussa Xinomavro from the 1990s or earlier looks NOTHING like the young wine in your glass - brick-red at the rim, softened tannins, secondary aromas of leather, tobacco, dried mushroom. These are wines that evolved like grand cru Burgundy on a fraction of the budget. In the historic cellar - the oldest section of the facility - ask the guide: 'What is the oldest vintage currently in your cellar?' Then ask: 'Has anyone ever bought the full vertical back to the 1970s?' The answer reveals something about collectors and about Greek wine's relationship with its own history.

   🔄 BACKUP: If cellar access isn't part of your visit, ask to see the barrel room instead. Xinomavro in new oak vs neutral oak tells its own story about how winemaking philosophy has evolved here.

   🍷 Log Memory