Greek Wine and Cooking Class: Domaine Costa Lazaridi

One of the best places to take a Greek wine and cooking class? Why, a Greek winery! Several fine wineries, perfect for any oenophile to discover Greek wines, dot the country.  Domaine Costa Lazaridi’s Oenotria Gi estate, located about an hour drive outside of Athens, is one of them.

Greek Wine and Cooking Class: Domaine Costa Lazaridi

Tucked in a green valley lined with rolling hills in a small town called Kapandriti, Domaine Costa Lazaridi’s Oenotria Gi estate includes an impressive wine museum, wine tasting room and cellars.  Its lush setting makes it a popular option for couples looking to tie the knot on a picturesque Greek winery.

More About Greek Food and Wine

The winery invited my fellow travel bloggers from Travel Bloggers Greece (TBG), along with top Greek food bloggers, for a day of Greek wine and a cooking class featuring celebrity Greek chef Giorgos Stylianoudakis. I joined TBG members, Eleanna of Foodaki, Chrysoula of Travelpassionate and Elena of Passion for Greece.

If you love Greek wines  you are likely familiar with the name. Lazaridi grew to become a top label in the industry over the last 20 years. Domaine Costa Lazaridi began production on its first estate located in Drama, a few hours away in northeastern Greece.  The winery expanded from small producer status to producing wines from 230 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Agiorgitiko vineyards. The family-owned winery earned awards for its wines produced from Greek and international varieties.   It earned recognition as well for excellent Greek liquors and apertifs created from local grapes.   Domain Costa Lazaridi then stepped into the world of gourmet wine and balsamic vinegars, including the Aceto Botanico Adriani, produced from selected wine grapes.

The Fantastic Greek Wine Museum

We started with a tour of the Costa Lazaridi Wine Museum.  From ancient Greek wine making methods to modern production, the museum gave insight into wine culture and history.

 

An interesting stop on the tour was a balsamic vinegar tasting, straight out of the barrels!

 

 

Greek Wine Tasting

We gladly sampled several wines during the wine class that followed.  Domaine Costa Lazaridi has several award-winning  labels including Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Chateau Julia, Enotria Land and Amethystos.

 

Greek Cooks in the Kitchen

Then, we rolled up our sleeves to check out what chef Giorgos had in store for our Greek wine and cooking class. His recipes incorporated Domaine Costa Lazaridi’s balsamic vinegars from the winery’s Balsamico Zidiou Botanico line.

 

Lucky us, we were in the company of some of the top Greek food bloggers knew their Greek cuisine!  The fresh ingredients laid before us included meats like psaronefri (pork tenderloin), kouneli (rabbit) and chicken.

 

 

 

In no time, the sizzle from the cooking areas created an aroma that had us craving for our special winery lunch.  Here was the outcome: a delicious soft pork tenderloin in a rich tomato sauce, lovely chicken and mushroom pasta and my favorite of the three, succulent rabbit sautéed in olive oil.

Of course, Domaine Costa Lazaridi wines complimented the meal.

Greek Dessert with a Twist

The foodie fun didn’t end there.  We were presented this. It wasn’t chocolate sauce covering my vanilla ice cream.

It was Domaine Costa Lazaridi balsamic vinegar.  The tangy and tart taste complemented the sweet simple vanilla flavor quite well – in an “opposites attract” kind of way.

 

Want to experience a  Greek wine and cooking class on your own? The museum and wine tasting room is open to the public. You can check the site for more information on hours. Special events, weddings and tour groups can be arranged as well.

Oenotria Gi Domaine Costa Lazaridi

2^nd klm Kapandriti – Kalamos

Kapandriti  190 14

+30 22950 52213

 

Have you ever been to a Greek winery or a Greek wine and cooking class?