A Day Trip from Athens: Ancient Nemea & Nemea Winery Tour
Oenophile.
A lover or connoisseur of wine.
Overview
People who know me will know that – I love wine! Fortunately, the vintners in Nemea are connoisseurs!
I herald from South Australia, one of the 7 wine regions of the world, so it’s no surprise that I am partial to a drop of vino. Thus when I started planning a trip to Greece, a Nemea wine tour was a necessity.
Nemea is the largest wine region in Greece and even has its own unique red wine varietal: the delectable Agiorgitiko!
Can I arrange a Nemea wine tour from Athens?
Yes! A Nemea Wine Tour is possible as a day (or half-day) trip from Athens or from the medieval port side town of Nafplio. We arranged a private tour departing from and returning to Nafplio because this formed day 5 of our epic Mainland Greece Road Trip, part of our incredible 3 Week Itinerary in Greece. For safety and maximum enjoyment, I’d recommend going with a private organised tour and not driving!
Where is Nemea?
Nemea is located on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece, approximately 1.5 hours from Athens. This is a region rich in history, culture and vistas across mountains and valleys beyond compare. For those with an interest, I’ve written separately about other ancient Peloponnese sites, including Corinth, the Acrocorinth, Mycenae and Epidaurus. Moreover, this post also includes maps on how to get to Nemea.
What is there to see in Ancient Nemea?
Most wine tours include a visit to Ancient Nemea, which showcases the Ancient Stadium athletics track, the famous Temple of Zeus in the Ancient Nemea Archaeological Site and the Ancient Nemea Museum. Fortunately we visited these historical sites at the beginning of the day whilst at our cognitive prime! Our tour guide also treated us to a monastery visit, hidden high up within a mountain.
Itinerary
Ancient Nemea Stadium
Archaeological Museum of Nemea
Archaeological Site of Nemea
Ktima Bairaktaris Winery
Karamitsos Winery
Monastery of the Holy Virgin of the Rocks
Skouras Winery
Ancient Nemea Stadium
Nemea was one of four important sites in Ancient Greece where athletics and religious festivals were celebrated on a 4 year cycle. The other locations were Delphi, Isthmia and Olympia. Thus, each year games were held at a particular site. All Greeks gathered for these celebrations. Even wars and hostilities were suspended during the games. Consequently, the stadiums came to be known as ‘Panhellenic Sanctuaries’.
Did athletes really compete in the nude?
Actually, yes! Athletes prepared for the races in the apodyterion, a structure preserved today. This is where they would remove their clothes and lather themselves with oil, ready to partake in the games nude! The preparation area was then connected to a 36m long entrance tunnel, which each athlete would run out from to the cheering crowd, which could reach up to 40,000 spectators! Furthermore, the tunnel’s vault is one of the oldest known in Ancient Greece and visitors can see names of athletes etched into its stone surface.
R: The Stadium with the Krypte Eisodos in the centre
What remains of the stadium today?
The track is 600 feet long and prepared with hard packed clay, although today has been covered with sand for protection. Astute visitors will notice the remains of a water channel, water basin, the 300ft (half way) marker, the starting line, judge’s stand and even some ‘front row seats’ for important visitors attending the Nemean Games.
Are the Nemea Games still operational?
Archaeological Museum of Nemea
Set adjacent the archaeological grounds of Ancient Nemea, this museum was constructed by the University of California and given to the Greek State in 1984. It primarily displays ancient artefacts excavated from the Sanctuary of Nemean Zeus but there are also various other drawings, photographs, coins and sculptures. These span the Early Neolithic Period to Byzantine times.
Archaeological Site of Nemea
Fancy walking within an ancient Greek temple? Then this is your only opportunity in Greece!
The Temple of Zeus at the Archaeological Site of Nemea is a famous landmark in the region and comprises an altar of Zeus, a sacred grove of cypress trees, pavilions, kilns, a hotel, bath houses and rooms and a shrine. These are all surrounded by the picturesque Nemean valley, home to many famous wineries.
Nemea Wine Tour Location #1: Ktima Bairaktaris Winery
After some interesting history and ancient culture lessons, it was definitely time to relax and enjoy the other major feature of Nemea: its celebrated wine lands!
First stop on our Nemea wine tour: Ktima Bairaktaris.
Here we were taken on a tour of this boutique family run business and it was our introduction to the red wine varietal, Agiorgitiko.
An Introduction to Agiorgitiko red wine varietal
Agiorgitiko is certainly not the easiest to pronounce but it translates to ‘Saint George’, an easy reference if you forget! The origins of Agiorgitiko were solely in Nemea but plantings have now spread across Greece given its enormous popularity.
Greece established the PDO (protected designation of origin) Nemea in 1971. By law, all PDO Nemea wines are 100% Agiorgitiko. This includes all dry red and medium sweet red wines, including wines made from sun-dried grapes and fortified sweet red wines.
PDO Nemea sits at just over 600 metres above sea level. Within the region, there are 3 informal sub zones, which traverse different climates and terrains. These factors, coupled with the grape maturation process, impact on the final wine produced. Thus there are a wide variety of wine styles that can be made from the Agiorgitiko grape.
After a much enjoyed tasting of four Bairaktaris wines, we settled on a bottle of the 2016 Agiorgitiko to purchase, which had been barrelled for 16 months. (This was enjoyed later one evening in Vikos Gorge during our incredible Mainland Greece Road Trip!) An additional thank you to the engaging staff who also threw in a free Greek language lesson and improved my understanding of the Greek alphabet! Our Nemea wine tour was certainly off to an amazing start.
L: Tasting platter at Ktima Bairaktaris
R: Greek alphabet lessons
R: Greek alphabet lessons
Nemea Wine Tour Location #2: Karamitsos Winery
Next in line on our Nemea wine tour was Karamitsos! Our driver had weaved through some narrow streets in the small village of Nemea to find this picturesque and serene family-run winery in the base of the valley. Visitors can savour a sip on Karamitsos’ lush green lawns out front or at the barrels on the verandah, whilst marvelling at the mountain views (and hidden monastery!). Alternatively, you can sit inside at long rustic wooden tables tables and benches. We were visiting during the height of summer so elected for some cool relief inside!
Firstly, the lovely Mary gave us a tour of their quaint wine cellar, with information on the importation of cork and its uses. She then spoiled us with 8 wine tastings, paired with an outrageously huge food platter. A visit to Karamitsos is a charming and intimate affair.
The great news about wine tours in Greece is that wine tastings are invariably accompanied by a complimentary cheese & charcuterie board! Our favourite platter was at Karamitsos Winery. Greek hospitality is well and truly alive!
Below: Portugese imported cork and the cellar at Karamitsos Winery
Nemea Wine Tour Surprise Destination: Monastery of the Holy Virgin of the Rocks
As we were come to realise on the remainder of our tour around mainland Greece, the country’s landscape is dotted with monasteries hidden within and hanging from various rock formations.
Our driver decided to make a slight deviation from our Nemea wine tour and generously took us to one such hidden monastery, the Monastery of the Holy Virgin of the Rocks. Dating as far back as 1698 in Venetian documents, the monastery was at its peak at the beginning of the 19th century. It is located one kilometre from the town of Nemea on the rock called Polyfeggos, in the mountain of Panagia (Our Lady).
Unlike many other historical sites in popular cities such as Athens and Delphi, walking up the steps to enter this monastery was almost eerie and other-worldly. With noone else and barely another car in sight, we found ourselves perched high up on a mountain edge and entering an archway into a narrow courtyard. From here, we were led through a small dark katholikon adorned with a mural painting of Jesus Christ. At the back of the cave there is a natural water tank. Next came a journey through an abandoned two floor building, through various cells and ancient rooms, dimly lit and connected with internal doors.
I must say I was grateful to reach the light of the outdoors once we had finished viewing the interior but it was certainly an ‘off-the-beaten-track’ experience in Greece. The views from the monastery across Nemea are unparalleled.
Nemea Wine Tour Location #3: Skouras Winery
Our Nemea wine tour finished in style at the ultra-modern and heavily awarded Domaine Skouras. The feel here was signficantly different to the two smaller family run wineries we had visited earlier. We entered the large tasting room to the sounds of other guests laughing and the gentle hum of satisfied customers whittling away the afternoon.
Promptly met by our guide, we then enjoyed a tour through their Cellar of 1000 Barrells! This is a must at Skouras!
After our tour, we were led past various artistic installations to the side terrace with views across the vineyards. Our wine tasting was informative, relaxing and professional. We particularly enjoyed the signature Megas Oenos wine, a blend of Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon pioneered in 1986 by George Skouras.
This was a lovely conclusion to our Nemea wine tour, allowing a balanced overview of smaller family run wineries with larger scale wine production in Greece.
Parting thought on our Ancient Nemea & Nemea Wine Tour:
I’d highly recommend a private tour guide for your visit to the charming region of Nemea. This allows the option to visit smaller boutique wineries and the opportunity for other more personal inclusions, such as our surprise expedition to the hidden monastery.
