Macedonia Wine Guide: Grapes, Appellations & Producers

Aromatic whites & modern blends

Soil: Coastal sand and clay near Thessaloniki.
Style: Lush, aromatic Malagousia and crisp Assyrtiko; pioneering modern estates.
Top sites: Ktima Gerovassiliou put Epanomi (and Malagousia) on the map.
Vintages: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Producers: Domaine Porto Carras

Tip · Vangelis Gerovassiliou single-handedly rescued the Malagousia grape from extinction here — now one of Greece's most beloved aromatic whites.

Value pick

Gerovassiliou Malagousia · ~$25

The wine that saved a grape — peachy, jasmine-scented and fresh; Greece's modern aromatic-white benchmark.

Collector pick

Gerovassiliou 'Avaton' · ~$55 · 2018

A flagship native-grape red blend from the estate that revived Malagousia — collected in Greece.

High, cool Xinomavro country

Soil: High-altitude, sandy, cool plateau in Greece's far northwest.
Style: Lighter, fresher, even sparkling and rosé Xinomavro — cooler than Naoussa.
Top sites: One of Greece's highest, coolest red zones.
Vintages: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Producers: Alpha EstateKir-Yianni (Samaropetra)

Tip · Cool, high Amyndeon shows a different side of Xinomavro — fresher and more delicate, even as rosé and traditional-method sparkling.

Value pick

Alpha Estate Xinomavro 'Hedgehog' · ~$28

Old-vine, single-block Xinomavro from a top Amyndeon estate — fragrant, fresh and a study in cool-climate Greek red.

Collector pick

Alpha Estate 'Reserve Old Vines' Xinomavro · ~$45 · 2017

Single-block, old-vine Xinomavro — a benchmark for cool-climate Greek red.