The Alta is one of several Xinomavro made by Thymiopoulos, which is sourced from the region of Naoussa. This is a joy in the glass with an abundance of fruit bursting out to reach those who go in for closer inspection. Behind this fruit there is silky tannin and a whack of spice.

The Greek love of wine extended back to the bronze age of the 5th century where you can read poetic stories of Dionysos and his tales of bringing wine to the lands of Greece. Today we often forget that Greece is one of the most important countries involved in the legacy that is our beloved glass of wine on a Friday night. Greece is a beautiful, hot mess of islands and plenty of places to go on holidays, and with modern tourism there is a bursting wine scene to show the sun-kissed backpacker how wine should be made. Apostolos Thymiopoulos is the man behind his family winery, located on the foothills of Vermio mountain in the town of Trilofo which is a hop, skip and a jump from the Aegean sea. For twenty years, Apostolos has been focusing on one particular native variety, Xinomavro, where he makes ten permutations of the variety in various styles. His love affair with this sour, black variety (greek translation for Xinomavro) has catapulted him into the wine royalty landscape for those of an adventurous mind.