A Day in Nemea: Good Wine and Ancient Monuments

The vine growers had simply completed pruning, and a few little shoots had already began to sprout tender “eyes.” Wealthy in grapes – from the industrial vineyards of Asprokambos and Koutsi to the vine-laden courtyards of personal houses – Nemea just isn’t solely the homeland of Agiorgitiko and the most important wine-producing area in Greece, it’s additionally a land steeped in fantasy and historical past. It was right here that Heracles accomplished the primary of his twelve labors, and right here that stands the imposing Temple of Zeus in Nemea, alongside one of many best-preserved historical stadiums within the nation. There’s additionally the Holy Monastery of Panagia tou Vrahou, relationship again to the seventeenth century, whose gorgeous views are well worth the climb up the Hill of Polyfeggos.

Simply 24 kilometers south of Nemea lies one of the vital vital archaeological websites in Greece, Mycenae, in addition to a fancy of beehive tombs in Aidonia. Within the mountains close by, there’s Lake Stymphalia, a part of the Natura 2000 community of protected areas; within the lowlands, the winding Asopos River flows serenely by valleys, interrupted right here and there by waterfalls. In brief, Nemea is richly gifted, each in pure wonders and in historic places.

Though the primary city – as soon as known as Aghios Georgios – lacks a unified architectural identification, it has a vibrant group working to make Nemea a real vacation spot. Two brand-new accommodations are already open, with two extra beneath development, set to open by the top of 2025. We stayed for one night time on the very snug and welcoming Kera Neme, which has its personal wine cellar and wine library, and cut up our time between 5 wineries and the archaeological web site of Historical Nemea.

We advise starting your tour of the archaeological web site on the museum, which was designed following ideas of recent museology. An enormous image window overlooks the positioning itself, and a large-scale mannequin right here will assist you to navigate the traditional stadium in a while. By the museum’s assortment, you’ll study that the Nemean Video games, held in honor of Opheltes in antiquity, weren’t simply native occasions. Historic proof, corresponding to cash, reveals that athletes and residents from modern-day Turkey, Cyprus, and Italy traveled to the traditional metropolis of Cleonae, proving the video games’ broad enchantment. Don’t miss the showcase with strigils, instruments that athletes used to take away oil and mud from their our bodies. Different objects embrace items of the beginning line, a stone strip remarkably properly preserved. You’ll additionally discover artifacts from the Bronze Age, together with jewellery from the Treasure of Aidonia: gold objects corresponding to rings, true masterpieces of workmanship. The chariot race scenes depicted on them attest to the creative talent of their creators.

The present state of the archaeological web site and museum owes a lot to the decades-long efforts of Professor Stephen Miller and his group from the College of California, Berkeley. Miller devoted himself with ardour and persistence to the positioning’s restoration, working to disclose the stadium and uncovering a number of different vital finds. Exiting the museum, you’ll see the foundations of homes that when hosted clergymen and sculptors, in addition to the Xenon, or athletes’ lodging, which was later remodeled right into a Christian basilica. On the left are the baths, which might have included altering rooms and rows of bathing basins.

Rising out of the wild grasses and flowers, the eight columns of the Temple of Zeus in Nemea stand tall, nonetheless seemingly carrying the load of divine presence. Decrease down, you’ll see the remnants of the cella, the temple’s internal chamber the place sacrifices have been provided. On the close by Sixth-century stadium, the stone seating and athletes’ entrance stay practically intact. Sadly, the setting lacks satisfactory interpretive assist. Sparse signage and the absence of a narrator or information meant that we couldn’t absolutely admire what we have been seeing. To get a extra full image, we suggest contacting Elias Papadopoulos, a information primarily based in Nafplio, who gives organized excursions within the space.

A Land Rooted in Wine

Greater than forty native winemakers craft their very own expressions of Agiorgitiko, the traditional Phliasian wine as soon as provided on the Nemean Video games. Nemea’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) crimson wine, comprised of 100% Agiorgitiko, was established in 1971. Immediately, the grape covers about 2,500 hectares, producing younger wines, aged reds, high quality rosés, elegant blanc de noirs, and fragrant dessert wines.

A few of Greece’s best-known labels come from these vineyards: Megas Oenos by Skouras, Vyssinokipos by Palivos, Gaia Property, Palaia Klimata by Papaioannou, Oinos Orenos Ilios by Semeli, Daimon by Ieropoulos, Kokkino se Mavro by Mitravelas, Tris Magisses by Barafakas, Mythic River by Gofas, and lots of extra. Just lately, the Nemea Winemakers’ Affiliation launched the NEMEA LIONS initiative, an international-style certification like these in Tuscany and Rioja. Wines labeled LIONS have to be produced solely within the PDO zone, with stricter high quality requirements and a concentrate on glorious uncooked materials. The certification additionally ensures environmental safety, soil fertility preservation and native producer assist. Bottles with the label goal to ensure high-quality dry crimson wines.

As for wine tourism? Locals have been welcoming guests for over 20 years throughout the “Nice Days of Nemea.” Every vineyard gives a novel expertise, from guided excursions and tastings in particular rooms to pleasant courtyard tables the place winemakers share a glass with visitors.

Wine Tourism Experiences

A whole wine tourism expertise awaits on the Semeli vineyard, constructed at an elevation of 600 meters in the village of Koutsi, with views of each the mountains and the plain. The tour leads by manufacturing areas of the gravity-flow vineyard, designed over 4 ranges, and ends in a trendy art-filled house. You may select from 4 tasting choices, two held within the gorgeous cellar. The property additionally has a bistro, the place the chef makes use of primarily natural merchandise to create fashionable dishes.

In the village of Archaia Nemea, the customer expertise (which was began by George Palivos and his spouse Angeliki and is now being continued by their daughters Evangelia and Vasiliki) is a heat and private wine story. On the crest of a hill, an outdated practice automotive serves as a particular tasting room for his or her premium wines – ebook upfront for a tasting on this gorgeous setting overlooking the vineyards.

Simply fifteen minutes from Nemea is Domaine Skouras, based in 1986 when George Skouras bottled his first 6,000 bottles, one after the other, in his father’s storage. This daring begin laid the muse for certainly one of Greece’s most famed wineries. Its iconic label is Megas Oenos, a mix of Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon that continues to be the flagship of the property. The tour features a go to to a very spectacular cellar, with over 1,000 barrels. Wine lovers can customise their tasting by choosing their favourite labels.

Some wineries aren’t open to the general public in any respect, whereas others are by appointment solely. For a curated tasting of distinctive or newer wines from wineries that don’t host visits, ebook a spot at Venikos in central Nemea. Based by Nikos Bouzinelos, Kostis Albanis and Dominik Brun, the corporate gives wine tourism and gastronomy experiences. A bundle may embrace a go to to the archaeological web site, a vineyard tour, and a meal in Koutsi at “Knowledge of Nature” (an artisanal producer of grape should and vinegar merchandise, this enterprise is run by Bouzinelos and Kostas Banagis). Within the Venikos tasting room and store, we took a masterclass in Agiorgitiko, sampling 4 expressions that ranged from glowing to crimson.

They Know Good Wine

No go to to the realm is full with no meal at Sofos. For the reason that Fifties, when present proprietor Giorgos’ grandmother Athena ran this taverna, Sofos has been synonymous with good meals and wine. Giorgos remembers how Nemea was as soon as distant and remoted, and locals would eat there perforce when going out: largely conventional dishes corresponding to stuffed grape leaves, baked cod, imam, okra with rooster, and meatballs. When the Nemea–Tripoli highway opened, space residents had extra choices, however Sofos continued to thrive. Giorgos entered the kitchen in 1993, forsaking a profession as an expert soccer participant; right now, he’s within the entrance of home whereas the kitchen is within the skilled fingers of his spouse Irini Korakas. We loved scrumptious dolmadakia with lemon sauce and gogkes (a standard pasta) with beef cheeks, a dish that’s stuffed with taste. And naturally, wine is important to Sofos’ identification, with wines from all native producers, together with uncommon vintages and magnum bottles for particular events, in addition to home wines beginning at simply €13 a bottle and €4 a glass.

One other restaurant with a concentrate on wine is 17 Choria (“17 Villages”). Its cozy eating room is adorned with classic objects, from terracotta tiles to grease lamps. Although we didn’t get to strive the meals, we admired the wine checklist, which options loads of Nemea and Peloponnese labels, with 25 wines obtainable by the glass: a rarity for a small-town restaurant. Their menu, curated by Konstantina Faklari, consists of 17 dishes, one for every of the realm’s villages.

Distinctive Souvenirs

The present that merely should come house with you – as a result of it greatest represents the area – is, in fact, Agiorgitiko wine. On the wineries, you’ll discover uncommon bottlings and vintages not broadly obtainable, all at very engaging costs. You may additionally wish to choose up a scrumptious loaf of bread from Stavropoulos Bakery, identified to locals as “Nota’s.” In operation since 1957, the bakery is now beneath the route of the founder’s daughter Nota. For the previous 40 years, she’s been up at 03:00 to bake, utilizing conventional strategies to make sourdough bread from stone-milled wheat flour. The consequence? Hearty, fragrant loaves with long-lasting taste. The primary loaves come out of the oven simply earlier than 08:00, their scent wafting alongside Efstathiou Papakonstantinou Avenue.

Subsequent door to the bakery is the Kallis Bookstore, open since 1969. Among the many books and toys are various nostalgic treasures, particularly for many who grew up in Greece within the ’80s and ’90s, however the biggest discover right here could be the shop’s passionate proprietor himself. A graduate of Political Science from Athens Legislation Faculty, a member of the Corinthian Writers Society, and the honorary president of the Nemea Retailers’ Affiliation, Telis Kallis is deeply dedicated to preserving his city’s cultural identification. Drop by not solely to purchase a ebook or a bit of the previous, however to talk with somebody conserving Nemea’s spirit alive.