 | Yiannis Tselepos and his family |
Yiannis Tselepos was born in 1955 in Pafos on the island of Cyprus. He studied Oenology at the University of Dijon in France, where he graduated in 1978. For 2 years he remained in Burgundy and worked at several wineries in the region. In 1981 he moved to Arcadia in the Peloponnese where he has since been involved in every harvest, in the beginning as an oenologist and eventually with his own winery. Tselepos has been one of the pioneers who helped establish and bring to prominence the Moschofilero grape and Shis name is closely associated with the so-called Greek Wine Renaissance.
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The Tselepos cellar |
Together with his wife Amalia, Yiannis Tselepos established Domaine Tselepos in 1989. They chose the perfect location just outside the village of Rizes on the hillside of Mount Parnon, very close to Ancient Tegea. This unique ecosystem is at an altitude of 750m with very cold winters and cool summers which together with the local clay and rocky soils were chosen for their ability to produce top quality wines. The 30 hectares lined vineyard is setup with the optimal orientation and planting density to assure the maximum of sunshine and appropriate air circulation.
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The Tselepos winery |
This modern winery is located 14km from the town of Tripoli. The winery is designed for maximum efficiency and was built to adhere to the local traditional architectural style.
Made from the noble Moschofilero grape. Produces the excellent white Mantinia Tselepos AOC wine.
Made from Moschofilero. Produces the elegant sparkling Amalia Brut.
Made from the noble red grape, Agiorghitiko. Produces a wonderful red AOC wine.
From his own vineyards Tselepos produces the following wines:
Local Wine of Tegea
Local wine of Tegea
Local wine of Tegea
Local wine of Arkadia
Local wine of Arkadia
The Peloponnese is the land of Dionysus, the greek god of wine. It is the land where the cultivation of the vines has flourished for thousands of years now. The wines of the Peloponnese were praised by Homer, Thoukidides, Pavsanias and many other important authors and historians. The first references to the winemaking of the Peloponnese were in Homer’s Illiad. In this famous epic poem Homer gives us some wonderful insights and precious information about the viniculture of the Peloponnese, a land he referred to as, "winebearer" and "full of vines".
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The Tselepos vineyards |
The winery is located in the region of ancient Tegea. Here one can visit the ruins of the temple of the goddess Athena. It is also very close to Mantinia where the temple of Dionysus can be found. According to ancient mythology, the area surrounding the winery, including the southern part of Parnon, were the hiding places of the ancient god Pan who accompanied Dionysus in his joyous celebrations. In this same area are the quaint traditional villages of Doliana, Kastri and Agios Petros.
Crossing the region in the north of Mantinia, the local road winds through the slopes of Mount Mainalo, full of pine and fir trees, and ends up in the picturesque traditional mountain villages of Vitina, Lagadia, Stemnitsa and Dimitsana.
The region features many important Byzantine monasteries, the most famous of which are the monasteries of Filosofos and Kernitsa. A traveler must also not forget to see the old factory that once produced ammunitions.
The traditional cuisine of Arcadia is considered very special and travelers will find small traditional restaurants called tavernas in the villages and throughout the countryside.
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