Semeli Winery Tour in Nemea
The Semeli Winery tour offered us great views of Nemea’s lush vineyards and insight into their top wine production.
Semeli Winery: Nemea
Nemea is a rural village about a two-hour drive from Athens. Driving in on a day tour, I was immediately impressed by the gorgeously lush, green and sloping landscape. I’d find out soon enough that slope was the secret to the success of Semeli wines.
Semeli Winery Tour
Semeli Winery, founded in 1979, started out as a small boutique winery on the foot of the Penteli Mountain. The company grew to acquire vineyards in the Peloponnese then Nemea and Mantinea. The Nemea location came later.
Semeli is aiming to be more active in developing wine tourism in Greece. The property itself is perfect for that and can rented out for all types of events.
Semeli has played a big role in developing indigenous Greek varieties by planting “innovative” grape varieties and using new cultivation methods.
Semeli Winery Secrets
What makes their wine so successful? A combination of the gentle Mediterranean climate, the soil and the different varieties of cultivation.
Our guide also explained how Semeli winemakers utilize gravity for success. He said the “gravity-fed winery” was designed to take full advantage of the terrain’s sloping gradient.
From pressing to bottling, the entire process uses the weight of the grapes or the downward movement caused by gravity to avoid using pumps. In the end, you get nearly zero defects and the production of quality Greek wines.
Wine Tasting in Nemea
After the tour we went on with my favorite part, the wine tasting. The rose was my favorite, produced from a chief Greek red variety of grape called Agriorgitiko.
Semeli’s rose is a beautiful bright cherry-red color with aromas of sweet fruit and cherry.
Semeli’s Top Wines
Our guides also told as about the fabulous assets of the Agiorgitiko and Moschofilero wines as well as their Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot varieties. Here’s a list of some of their best:
- Feast Moschofilero from Mantinia
- Feast Agiorgitiko from Nemea
- Semeli White Roditis
- Semeli Red Agiorgitiko from Nemea and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Mountain Sun White Moschofilero from Mantinia and Sauvignon Blanc
- Mountain Sun Red Agiorgitiko from Nemea and Syrah
- Semeli Mantinia from Mantinia
- Semeli Nemea Reserve
For more on tours and the winery itself visit www.semeliwines.gr.
Have you ever been on a Greek wine tasting tour?
