Neos Marmaras,
63081, Sithonia – Chalkidiki Greece

Phone +30 2310 253758
Phone MEH +30 23750 77437
Email wines@portocarras.com

 

 

© 2023  Domaine Porto Carras new era, All Rights Reserved

Image Alt

History

Our History

Where it all started

In 1963 a cruise to Mount Athos begins, for the celebration of the 1000 years since the creation of the monastic community of Athos. Aboard known Athenians and among them the shipowner Yiannis Carras. They cruise offshore Sithonia, enter the Toroneos Gulf and… the fairytale begins. Yiannis Carras falls in love with the virgin site.

First Vineyards & Olive Groves

The first vineyards and olive groves began to be planted at the beginning of 1965, while work also commenced then on the innovative tourism Resort which is associated with the Domaine Porto Carras, creating a real revolution in the hotel and wine-making sector in Greece at that time. On the western side of Chalkidiki’s Sithonia Peninsula, where the verdant slopes of Mt. Meliton stretch down to mingle with the crystal clear waters of Toroneo Bay, 450 hectares of the largest organic Greek vineyards lie in amphitheatre-like formation. These vineyards are some of the largest in Europe.

The vineyards were designed by university professors from the Thessaloniki School of Agronomy and Athens Vine & Wine Institute in an exemplary manner. For the first time a systematic study was carried out on the suitability of foreign varieties in Greece. The Domaine’s people have respected the magnificence of this unique environment. Wherever there were forests, they have been left untouched. Thus the trees today still constitute a natural barrier, trapping the evening atmospheric moisture which helps the vines withstand the hot days of summer.

Winery Built

The winery designed by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement, was built in 1970, and together with the vineyard became a landmark for the Greek wine industry.

It is definitely worth mentioning the significant contribution made by the father of modern oenology, Professor Émile Peynaud from the University of Bordeaux, who forged the historical path of the first “Greek” wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, which—having been ideally adapted to the Domaine’s calcareous-slaty soil—thrived around the globe, achieving numerous awards, medals and accolades.

The design and positioning of the winery in the middle of the vineyard facilitates the rapid delivery and processing of the grapes for the purpose of maintaining their quality and avoiding oxidation.

PDO Slopes of Meliton - PGI Sithonia

The Protected Designation of Origin wine production zone Slopes of Meliton was recognized in 1982. It refers to white and red wines produced from grapes grown on the slopes of Mount Meliton in N. Marmaras, in the southern part of the Sithonia peninsula of Halkidiki.

Technical Olympic acquired Domaine Porto Carras

Melissanthi Experience Hall

Domain Porto Carras winery, makeover of the area accessible to the public, and the wine tasting hall were included in the renovation. To go along with the renovation, an unforgettable tour of the vineyard grounds was also created.

 

After continuous adaptability studies of different varieties, from 2002 – 2013, they have planted more than 800 acres of new vineyards in different terroir of the estate with the modern methods of vine cultivation.

The 26 grape varieties grown in the estate offers unlimited possibilities for producing wines with different and special characteristics.

The restructuring of the vineyard included the renewal of our historical varieties, such Malagouzia Limnio, Cabernet sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, etc., enriched with new varieties such as Muscat of Alexandria, Viogner, Chardonnay, Mavrodaphne, and Mavrotragano.

DIMERA Group acquired Domaine Porto Carras

"new era" Project

At the top of the priorities of the “New Era” mega project is the regeneration of the historic vineyard of Porto Carras, with the unique terroir that co-shapes, together with the vineyard, the pine forest of the area and the vast olive groves of Sithonia.