Wine tourism in Metsovo

As a word, "nobility" is somewhat misunderstood nowadays, probably because noblemen are a thing of a past (though there's no shortage of wealthy men...). Actually, a noble man is someone who, having been graced by life with material wealth, is primarily concerned with the well-being of the people around him. A noble man is someone who gives, who seeks to improve, to educate, to train, to cultivate, and puts their heart and soul into the enterprise. A noble man is someone who shares and gives of themself.

Take Evangelos Averoff, for example, who left his mark on the place of his birth, Metsovo, transforming it from an inaccessible and far-flung mountain settlement into a model of village life and collective organization.
2009 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the planting of the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines on the weather-worn slopes at Yiniets, and thus of the first step taken towards Averoff's vision of “vineyard-winery-bottled wine”.

However, I don't know if even Evangelos Averoff could have imagined what the Katogi Averoff premises in Metsovo would have become today under the guidance of his son-in-law, Sotiris Ioannou, and Giannis Maltezos and Achilleas Lampsidis at Strofilia (the two companies merged a few years ago): Greece's first integrated and contemporary wine hotel, and a wine-tourism operation that has broken new ground internationally!

The hotel

Wine is everywhere: in the glasses served in the (amazing!) wine bar, of course, but also in the names of the fifteen red and white rooms, all of which are extremely comfortable—and the suites have their own fireplaces! And that local colour we were talking about is present, but distilled down to its essence and mixed with art to guide your senses.

Look at the colour of the walls, behold the bathrooms! Appreciate the wireless Internet throughout the hotel; the flat-screen televisions that are one with the wall and don't impose on your space in the slightest; the breakfasts that satisfy the nose and the eye as well as the taste buds accompanied by any coffee you can think of; the flickering fireplaces and comfortable sofas throughout the building. Feast your eyes on the fine interiors and magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Enjoy the discrete staff there to cater to your needs. 

The winery

The next step is a visit to wineland! From the reception, climb down the broad wooden staircase (or take the lift!), and you're in the winery. In a place of wonders. Subtle lighting, black walls and a video to welcome you and relate the tale of how one of the first wineries in modern Greece came into being. A little further down, Evangelos Averoff himself will welcome you in an amazing video projected among the barrels. I have to say that my words simply cannot do justice - which is a rare phenomenon, indeed - to this metamorphosis of the Katogi winery. I mean, how can I describe the atmosphere, which somehow contrives to be mystical and upbeat at the same time; the art-works hung over the barrels, like Savvas Mylonas' 6+1; the music and the wine drop dropping? How can I convey the host of installations with their audio-visual presentations of growing, picking, producing and bottling the wines; the scenes projected onto stainless steel tanks and barrel bottoms; the magical glass bridge over a bottle river of Katogi red; the magical tasting room lined with myriad bottles of sparkling rose? And the history of the entire magnificent undertaking condensed into two objects in a display case: the very first bottle of Katogi, and the signet ring whose imprint it bears in its wax. Open the door, and you find yourself in the courtyard, admiring the exterior which, reassuring and eternal, hasn't changed in the slightest... though the revamp may just have left it with the hint of a smile at the surprise awaiting the unsuspecting visitor with no idea of what's hiding inside.

The visit ends in the winery shop, which would be the envy of any shopkeeper anywhere. A tastefully-appointed space boasting an amazing collection of wine-based gadgets, implements and books in addition to all the winery's creations and a range of select local products including sweets and preserved fruits made with Metsovo wines and spirits.

Thanks to the intelligent initiatives taken by the good folk from Katogi & Strofilia, Metsovo is now Greece's prime wine-tourism destination, and can offer every visitor, wine lovers or not, an experience of the highest calibre. Which warrants a heartfelt round of applause, wouldn't you say?

Meropi Papadopoulou