Alpha Estate

ALPHA Estate is located at the northwest part of Greece, the Amyndeon, Florina region. Alpha Estate was founded in 1997 by the experienced viticulturist Makis Mavridis and chemist-oenologist Angelos Iatridis, who, after years of experience in various locations of Greece, chose the Amyndeon region to create his own wine.

The privately owned vineyard of the estate is situated on a plateau at an altitude of 620-710 m with a northwest exposure, covering a total area of 87 ha.

The local climate is characterized by cold winters with sufficient rainfall and snow which provide the vines with the necessary water supplies to endure the relatively dry summer. Additionally, two neighboring lakes contribute to the existence of a mild semi-continental climate, favoring the cultivation of foreign and indigenous, red and white grape varieties.

The sandy-clay texture of the soil, assuring an ideal drainage of the rain water, the favorable climatic conditions during maturation and harvest periods and finally the appropriate viticultural practices contribute to a complete fruit ripening thus offering the possibility of producing wines of exquisite quality and rich aromas.

The density of plantation is 3900 vines/ha and the yields do not exceed 4000 kg of grapes per hectare (250hl/ha). In order to avoid extreme water deficits during summer, "root zone drying irrigation" is applied to assure the optimum conditions for the maturation of grapes. As the vines became old enough (green harvest procedure was applied on the third and forth year of each parcelle-variety) the grapes from the vineyard were used exclusively for the core blend of a typical Vin de Garde of VQPRD Amyndeon (ALPHA XINOMAVRO).

Today, a popular blend of Syrah/Merlot with ungrafted Xinomavro is the estate's red flagship (ALPHA ESTATE RED), while a classic barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc (ALPHA ESTATE WHITE) and several other wines of limited production (ALPHA SYRAH, ALPHA PINOT NOIR, ALPHA ONE,ΩMEGA) complete the estate's varietal portfolio.

The wedding of an ancient local variety with a noble international one arose not only by the demands of modern markets, but also by the spirit of progress that distinguishes Angelos Iatridis' winemaking. Alpha Estate's vineyard consists of the following varieties: Xinomavro, Mavrodapnhe, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tannat, Montepulciano, Negro Amaro, Barbera, Malagouzia, Sauvigon Blanc, Chardonnay & Gewürztraminer.

ALPHA ESTATE winery is located in the heart of the privately owned vineyards of the viticulture exploitation. That means that transport of the grapes from the vineyard to the winery during harvest is done at the shortest possible time. Close proximity, in combination with transport in special refrigerators and harvest at the coolest hours of the day underline the outmost respect and protection of the organoleptic characteristics of the wine grapes.

Natural gravity, a concept applied from the design of the winery, is exploited throughout the winemaking process, with the minimum possible stress to the raw material. All construction materials are highly inactive and neutral in order to secure absolute neutral atmosphere conditions inside the winery, protecting the quality of the grape, the must and the wine.

Managing the winery is simplified by applying a totally integrated building management system at all levels, from the winery process to the machinery and mechanical functions both inside the winery and from distance, from any part of the world. Large part of the winery and its state of the art machinery of the latest available winemaking technology are monitored directly by the suppliers of this equipment on line, through modems, in order to secure optimum performance.

The winery equipment installed satisfies the winemakers philosophy: ABSOLUTE RESPECT TO THE ECOSYSTEM, THE VINEGROWER AND THE WINELOVER. But the most important and greater space of the winery is the underground cellar which houses at ideal and optimum conditions all through the year the oak casks were ALPHA ESTATE's wines are aged.

A specially designed path has been designed and created for the winery visitor in order for him to be able to visit the underground cask cellar without disturbing the quietness of the wines ageing inside the casks. Details can of course be obtained at first hand with a prescheduled visit to the winery.

Finally the tasting room consists the point were design ends and pleasure begins for ALPHA ESTATE wines. The tasting room is completed by a thematical presentation room and a shop, were not only ALPHA wines but books and wine related articles will be available. All three in the area of the underground oak casks cellar. It is guaranteed that a visit to the vine growing area of Amyndeon will reward you.