All about Zitsa, Epirus.

The Company.

DOMAINE GLINAVOS is part of the living tradition of Zitsa, one of the widely known wine production areas in Greece, with some of the most interesting indigenous varieties. Zitsa is also a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Even Lord Byron, when he visited Zitsa in 1809, praised its wine as “a superb white wine of which Abbot Gregorios was very proud of”.

With ongoing efforts for the continuous improvement of its wine quality, Glinavos’ winery is one of the leaders in the field of wine-making. Lefteris Glinavos set up the winery with effort and passion in 1978. Today, his son Thomas, who follows in his father’s footsteps, is the CEO of the winery.

The variety of our wines include White and Red wines, Sparkling Rosé and White Wines and a special kind of “Orange” wine which is made based on the traditional method of wine making, specific to the region and has been passed down from generation to generation for 400 years.

DOMAINE GLINAVOS also produces the traditional Greek distillate “Tsipouro” in three varieties: classic, quince infused and aged.Read more_

We believe that each wine should tell a story. The story of its variety, its production, its maturing, the story of the rains, the burning sun and the land it grows on. For this reason, we chose to walk the less frequented path, the one of keeping the tradition and of harmonic collaboration with modern technology. From collecting grapes by hand until the discreet but essential use of modern technology, we combine the best elements of both worlds.

We made a choice to cultivate rare varieties forgotten long ago, to experiment and continuously test new techniques for the production of wine solely from these varieties but also combining them with established Greek and non-Greek varieties, aiming to create recognizable high quality wines. Our steadily increasing presence in the wine market, the warm welcoming of our wine in new markets and the trust our clients show us, has justified our philosophy and has allowed us to continue our journey into this less treaded path, the path of tradition, of high quality, a path laid with passion and love for mother earth.

The History.

The company was founded in Zitsa, Ioannina (Viticultural Area with Appellation of Origin of Superior Quality), in 1978 by Lefteris Glinavos, who was educated in the ways of winemaking at Bordeaux, France and he was one of the first oenologists in Greece.In 1980, by making use of innovational technology and at the same time with respect to tradition and the indigenous varieties of Ioannina and Zitsa regions (white Debina and red Vlahiko grapes) the estate created the first semi-sparkling rosé wine in Greece under the brand name “Kyra Frosyni” and the dry white “Balthazar – Zitsa”.In 1990, Thomas Glinavos – son of the founder, who studied Economics at the University of Stockholm – joined the family business. It was at that time that the first major investments were made, with emphasis on modernizing the wine making equipment and creating new buildings, open to the public.

Please see HERE the Domaine Glinavos website.

Please check HERE for prices & retailers of Glinavos wines near you.

Unfortunately, as GrapeRover did not receive any samples as yet, we are not able to review or rate their wines.