ALPHA ESTATE

Alpha Estate lies in the Amyndeon wine zone of the region of Florina in northwest Greece. It occupies a striking geomorphological setting, with beautiful views over Lakes Petron and Vegoritida, between the picturesque village of Nymfaio and the ski resorts of Pisoderi (Vigla) and Agios Athanasios. This is one of the northernmost and coolest corners of the Greek vineyard, where winter brings snow and the seasons are sharply drawn — a landscape that seems unexpected for the country, yet proves ideal for the slow, balanced ripening of the grape. 

An altitude above 600 meters, the proximity of the lakes, the moderate northwesterly winds, the low rainfall and the sandy, low-fertility soils, combined with a scientifically designed, single privately owned vineyard, compose a singular terroir. The wide swing between day and night temperatures through the ripening season preserves the grapes’ natural acidity, while the sandy, poor topsoil over a limestone subsoil lends depth and minerality. It is in this environment that complex, distinctive and multidimensional wines come into their own. 

Alpha Estate is the fruit of a collaboration between two visionaries: second-generation viticulturist Makis Mavridis and Bordeaux-trained oenologist Angelos Iatridis. Since its founding in 1997, their central aim has been to place the Greek vineyard and Greek wine on the world stage, with Xinomavro — the region’s noble indigenous red variety — at the heart of their work. The creation of a single, privately owned vineyard, a rarity in Greece, was an emblematic and pioneering investment, one that gave them complete control over every stage, from vine to bottle. 

The human factor draws out every element that the ecosystem of our 225-hectare privately owned vineyard so generously offers. Respect for nature, combined with quality, ensures wines made through the gentlest of vineyard and cellar practices, grounded in today’s international standards of sustainable viticulture. A winery built in the heart of the vineyard, refrigerated transport of grapes, and harvesting during the coolest hours of the day protect the aromatics, while the use of gravity throughout the winemaking process imposes the least possible stress on the raw material. 

Finally, professional training, experience and team synergy at every stage of production and promotion come together to create wines that carry the Alpha Estate signature. The vision is already passing to the next generation — Angeliki Iatridou and Emorfili Mavridou — who carry forward the same shared path. 

Above all, though, it is the “soul” of the people who contribute each day to the realization of this dream that gives every bottle the character and identity of its place.