Gianaclis: Egypt's Delta Winery and Its Alexandria Traces

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1

   Read the Two Names on the Vineyard Sign

   history Free

   Free, from the pavement: the house name in two languages.

   A wine house's name over a city shop.

   WHERE: Al Ghorfa Al Togaria Street in central Alexandria, a green-marble corner shopfront.

   WHAT: find the house name written twice, "كروم جناكليس" in Arabic and "VIGNOBLE GIANACLIS" in French, and photograph it. The cellar it names is not in Alexandria: it works in Gianaclis village, Abu al-Matamir, Beheira, 45 km south in a straight line.

   HOW: free, any time; the shutters may be down.

   BACKUP: none needed, the sign is seen from the street.

   Log Memory
2. 2

   Find the Spanish Grape Behind Omar Khayyam

   wine Price: low

   Two labels, as the house lists them, 170 m up the street.

   Before the bottle, the old wine of this coast: Strabo wrote that on Lake Mareia, south of Alexandria, "the Mareotic wine is racked off with a view to ageing it".

   WHERE: the Drinkies shop on the same street, 170 m from the sign; Drinkies is the owner's own retail chain.

   WHAT: find Omar Khayyam Red. The house lists it as Bobal, origin Egypt; Bobal is native to the Utiel-Requena region of Valencia, Spain. Then find a Château de Granville bottle, which the house lists with origin France. Buying is optional; the task is the two labels.

   HOW: hours are not published; liquor shops can be ordered shut on Islamic holy days.

   BACKUP: the Drinkies on Mohamed Shafik Ghorbal Street, Ibrahimiya. Hotel guests in Cairo find Omar Khayyam Red on the in-room wine list of the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza.

   Log Memory
3. 3

   Weigh Two Namesakes at Gianaclis Station

   history Free

   One quarter, two men called Gianaclis, and a clue in a will.

   WHERE: Gianaclis Station Street in Ramleh, at the tram stop.

   WHAT: two stories name this quarter. An encyclopedia says Nestor Gianaclis, the founder. Arabic press says Nicola Pierakos, "known as Gianaclis", an owner of vineyards and distilleries; in 1948 a Greek businessman, Nicola Biyarkos, known in Egypt as Gianaclis, built a palace with 366 windows within the vineyards at Abu al-Matamir. Then the clue: the founder's will named his niece, "wife of Pierrakos", as his heir. Decide which story you believe.

   HOW: free, any time. The Raml tram has been stopped for rebuilding since 1 April 2026: come by taxi or the replacement minibuses.

   BACKUP: none needed, a public street.

   Log Memory

Insider Tips

• Do not drive to the cellar gate: it is a working plant with no walk-in visits. Ask the owner's line, 19347, whether a coach day from Cairo is running, what it costs and who may join.

• The vines are not at the cellar: the winemaker said in 2015 that they were replanted in 1999 about 150 km away, and rows show along the Cairo–Alex desert road from about 50 km out of Cairo.

• The Raml tram has been stopped for rebuilding since 1 April 2026; take a taxi between the Alexandria stops.

• Read the back label: the house lists Omar Khayyam Red as Bobal, a grape native to Valencia in Spain, and Château de Granville as wine from France.