In the grape harvester’s Harvest, the labors go smoothly…says the wise people and the wine growers of Naoussa are one step away from finding it out.

At the same time, they are counting down the hours in order to retrieve from the bed of the historic Arapitsa 20 to 30 bottles of Xinomavro, out of the 500 in total that were sunk two years ago, with the aim of investigating whether the aging of the wine in the gurgling waters of the river is successful .

And all this, against the background of the 3rd Harvest Festival (30/8-3/9), which is co-organized in Naoussa by the municipality of the same name, together with the Association of Grape Growers – Winemakers of the region and the support of the Region of Central Macedonia – Regional Unit of Imathia and the Chamber of Imathia.

Looking for their own “treasure”

“History has proven to us that wines that were found submerged by shipwrecks in the Aegean and lived for thousands of years in the water, not only did not lose their taste and “glamour”, but on the contrary their “disappearance” at the bottom, worked beneficially, so that become from special to…unique. We aspire for even better results by immersing our own wines in the historic river of Arapitsa” says the president of the winemaking cooperative “Oinoi VAENI Naoussa”, head of the Association of Winemakers and Vintners of the Xinomavrou Zone of Naoussa and the wine producers of Imathia, speaking to APE-MPE. George Fundoulis.

It is recalled that 500 bottles of wine were placed on iron pallets and sunk into the bed of the Arapitsa river – which has a great depth and low temperatures – on September 5, 2021, with the aim of preserving them in this extreme environment for 10 years.

Two years after the sinking of the bottles of Xinomavro, the time has come for the wine producers of Naoussa, who in addition to their …cellars often visited the river Arapitsa, to do a pilot test and “see their aging process”, he emphasizes himself, expressing the anxiety, but also the longing of the producers for these first results.

This year’s production in Naoussa is expected to be reduced by 25%

The harvest in the region is about to start in Naoussa, and according to Mr. Foudoulis, production is expected to be reduced by 25%, mainly due to poor fruit set as a result of prolonged rains and less as a result of diseases, such as downy mildew. Of course, as he hastens to point out, the messages he receives from all over Greece also concern larger reductions in production, such as in the Edessa area, where the winegrowers are already talking about a reduction of 80% to 90%. He clarifies that depending on the region and place of cultivation, the numbers vary.

However, the effects of climate change are increasingly evident, as he notes and adds, that “every day we work to fortify our vineyards and we are constantly looking for new practices to stay alive in the coming years”.

Thus, this year the winegrowers of Naoussa put their hands deeper into their pockets, in order to take care of their vines and save their production, and according to Mr. Foudoulis “the cost of production was increased by 40%-50% compared to last year”.

The region of Naoussa has 22 wineries and around 4,500 acres are cultivated with vines, with the “number one” variety is Xinomavro, which is exported to over 45 countries in the world. With reference to the promotion and promotion programs of the sour cream that run in markets such as Brazil, India, Korea and Japan, among others, he informs that already this year there have been some successes and “we are continuing”, he emphasizes. Speaking about the sales of the winemakers in 2022, he says that “in the end we did not reach the levels of 2019, but I estimate that in 2024 we will achieve it”.

Among other things, it informs that the Naoussa Sour Black Wine Culture has been registered in the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece”

Five-day mosaic of activities for the harvest and wine from 30/8

The 3rd Harvest Festival in Naoussa started today, which involves a five-day “mosaic” of activities for the harvest and wine, an open invitation to visitors to learn about the wine, cultural and historical tradition of Naoussa, following a series of events that take place from today until September 3, 2023.

As part of the Festival, Naoussa is highlighted and promoted as a unique wine destination, where the traveler will have the opportunity to discover the secrets of Xinomavros and its impressive vineyard and visit its historical monuments, its traditional neighborhoods, listen the pioneers of wine to talk about their journey and be left to the music of the place and the world, together with the tasting of the unique and globally recognized Xinomavros.

The productive and amateur associations of the municipality of Naoussa actively participate in the Festival, such as restaurateurs, hoteliers, confectioners, cultural associations, wine lovers, volunteers, musicians and coffee bars.

Based on the program of events announced by the municipality of Naoussa, the opening ceremony of the 3rd Naoussa Grape Festival will take place at 20:00 at the Summer Municipal Theater of the area, at which time an open discussion on the topic of “Memories and Perspectives” will take place.

On the same day, there will be a music concert “With Song and Wine”: timeless and beloved songs with wine as their common point of reference, join in a quality program that aims to enter the hearts and lips of the listeners.

On Thursday 31/08, there will be a musical narration for children on the theme “Grape the grape” (Agia Paraskevi outdoor area at 18.30), confectioners of the city will offer their sweets based on must and sour cream and it will be shown
the film “Arcadia 1900. The Eastern Campaign” (Vetlans hall, at 21:00). For Friday 1/09, among other things, the show is planned

“Karagiozis at the wine festival” (Alonia Square, at 20:30).

On Saturday 2/9 at 10.00, there will be the first taste test of the wines immersed in the historic Arapitsa river, accompanied by a traditional musical group – Vangelis A. Psathas – zournas, Stavros M. Pazarentzis – dauli.

Among other things, on 2/9 there will be a traditional pie competition with prizes for the first three winners, Wine Street Food with Chef V. Kallidis cooking together with the restaurateurs of Naoussa and highlighting the local gastronomy and a guided tour of the Aristotelous School – “Travel in History and the world of Wine”.

On Sunday, 3/09, the program of activities includes, among others, a representation of the Harvest, the Red Winery and a representation of the traditional harvest by the Greek High School of Naoussa with the participation of the choir of the Association, Fine Dining, Kyr-Yiannis Estate and a screening of the film Portrait of a Land which presents, through 20 wineries, the wine-producing community of the region in 40 static one-minute shots.

Visitable wineries and activities

During the Harvest Festival the participating wineries will receive visits and carry out activities, according to the following program:

– Argatia Winery
Saturday 2/9 to Sunday 3/9, hours 11.00 – 16.00
– Estate Kyr-Yiannis
Wednesday 30/8 to Sunday 3/9, hours 11.00 – 18.00
Every day Xinomavro vertical test 4 harvests (with reservation).
– Dalamara Winery
Wednesday 30/8 to Saturday 2/9, hours 11.00 – 14.00
Friday 1/09 Old Town: Masterclass with Kostis Dalamaras ¨An introduction to the versatile character of Xinomavros” (with reservation).
– Kelesidi Estate
Wednesday 30/8 to Sunday 3/9, hours 10.00 – 15.00 (after phone reservation)
– Kokkinos Winery
Wednesday 30/8 to Sunday 3/9, hours 09.00 – 16.00
– Estate of Fundi
Wednesday 30/8 to Friday 1/9, hours 09:00 – 15:00 Saturday 2/9 to Sunday 3/9, hours 12:00 – 17:00
– Chrysochou estate
After calling 23320 45080
– Kappa Winery
Wednesday 30.08. until Saturday 02.09, hours 11:00-15:00
Sunday 3/09, 11:00 – 17:00 tasting of Premium wines, music
– Vaeni Cooperative
Wednesday 30/8 to Friday 1/9, hours 08:00 – 15:00