To Perivolaki

A workshop, a certified cheese factory, a farm, a garden with vegetables and a rock garden with herbs. At this small organic farm, we’re received by Dimitra Kardatou, an ardent organic farmer. Here, almost everything is self-produced: olive oil, dried fruits, vegetables, cheeses made from goat’s and sheep’s milk (including an extraordinary Cretan-style “tirosouli”), ice cream, and eggs from the farm’s own poultry. They also make scrumptious bread and sugarfree pastries, as well as pasta and trahana (read about this superfood here), produced with their own flour from cereals and legumes grown right here. N.M.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Vasiliki Palivou (@vasiliki_palivou)

Palivou Estate

Located about an hour away from the city, we enjoy an excellent guided tour of the vineyard and cellars of the Palivou Estate, followed by a wine tasting complete with light snacks. An especially interesting part of the tour is our “encounter” with a cork tree – a tree that rarely thrives in Greece, but which is being nurtured at this estate.

Palivou Estate made a turn towards quality winemaking in 1995, when the old facilities made room for a modern winery, the vineyards of which cover over 30 hectares, and are planted mainly with Agiorgitiko vines. A family business, Giorgos Palivos is the beating heart of the winery, while his daughters, Vasiliki and Evangelia, have taken over the practical side of running the estate.

A visit here can be paired with a visit to the Archeological Site of Nemea, situated only a short drive away. M.Pet.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Κτήμα Κοκοτού – Kokotos Estate (@kokotosestate)

Kokotos Estate

One of the nicest – perhaps the nicest of them all – of the estates open to visitors in Attica, is located only a breath away from Athens. Vineyards with organic certification, planted on rolling hills at an altitude of 450 meters, provide a wonderfully peaceful scenery. At its highest point, boasting panoramic views of Mount Penteli, Mount Parnitha and the island of Evia, we find the winery, which produces quality wines with lots of character.

Anne Kokotou, the soul and driving force behind this estate, is an elegant English lady who has shaped the wine tourism character of the vineyards and winery; it features atmospheric spaces, carefully curated tastings, private tours and events, all year round. M.P.

 

 

 

 

 

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Nikolou Winery

In Koropi, in the heart of the Mesogaia region, the Nikolou winery has been producing wine since 1875. The traditional architecture takes the visitor back, while the creativity of their product transports you right into the future. Vassilis Nikolou, a lecturer at the Department of Oenology and Beverage Technology of TEI Athens, and his son, Evangelos Nikolou, also an oenologist, are pioneers, running the place with great success.

The sparkling wines produced through traditional vinification are products of study and experimentation that catch the interest of every visitor. From their wine tourism packages, we would recommend the “Savatiano Panorama,” a tribute to the main variety of Mesogeia, Savatiano. Every package comes with a tasting of several wines, most of them paired with delicious local treats. M.P.

 

 

 

 

 

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Oenotria Land

Fulfilling a dream and following the success of the company’s winery in Drama, in 2000, Kostas Lazaridis decided to plant vines on 20 hectares of land in Kapandriti, in Attica. On the land sits also a small but highly modern winery, dedicated to the vinification of only the grapes grown right here, producing tasty quality wines that have received multiple awards.

But Oenotria also has another ace up its sleeve: a 10.500 square meter complex of buildings containing the cellars, but also the Wine Museum Costa Lazaridi, conference rooms, and event spaces. M.P.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Το Περιβόλι Στη Βάρη (@perivolivari)

To Perivoli

A tiny place comparatively, covering only 0.4 hectares and dedicated foremost to educating guests, To Perivoli follows the principles of permaculture (the idea of observing natural ecosystems and applying the lessons learned for managing the land). They also run a good restaurant, where you can enjoy food cooked with their own organic produce. While most of what they produce is needed for covering the needs of the restaurant’s kitchen, if you ask, you may also be able to purchase small quantities of vegetables to bring home. N.M.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Margi Farm

More than seven years have passed since the Agiostratitis family, who runs the famous Athens riviera hotel The Margi, decided to create their own farm in Kalyvia, so as to provide the hotel restaurants with its own produce and their hotel guests (and other visitors) with an interactive farm-to-table activity.

By appointment only, visitors to The Margi Farm can tour the vegetable garden before sitting down to a meal at the long refectory table beneath a pergola, where they will be able to identify on their plates not just the vegetables they’ve just seen in the gardens, but also the herbs and eggs from the farm’s chicken coop. Meat is served as well, cooked on the grill or rotisserie style in the outdoor kitchen.

From their olives and vines they produce their own olive oil and tsipouro (a potent Greek spirit), served as a welcome drink. Other products, including cheeses, are also in the works. A.S.

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.