Two wines from Rouvalis – the Roditis Single Vineyard “Katarachi” 2022 (white) and the dry Mavrodaphne Tsigello 2023 (red) – have earned a spot on this year’s list of awarded wines by Great Greek Wines, one of the most respected initiatives dedicated to Greek wine. This recognition is a great honor and a meaningful reward not only for the Winery itself but also for the up-and-coming winegrowing region of Aigialeia.
GGW: An Institution of Excellence
Great Greek Wines has already become a key point of reference for the Greek vineyard. From the outset, the vision of its founders, Yiannis Karakasis MW and Grigoris Michailos, was not only to reward excellence, but also to create a dedicated platform for showcasing Greek wine, boosting its international visibility, and promoting it to a global audience. Their dynamic approach transforms the awards into a vehicle for presenting Greek wine on the international stage and winning over audiences with its distinctive character and high quality.
For GGW 2025, seven top international wine professionals spent four days evaluating the entries, which were sourced directly from the market and assessed through blind tastings under the strictest criteria. The panel’s credibility is reflected in the wines they selected, which set a high standard for quality. The judges were:
• Mark Andrew MW, co-founder of Noble Rot magazine and restaurants
• Paz Levinson, Executive Chef Sommelier at Groupe Pic Restaurants
• Christophe Heynen MW, leading wine merchant in Belgium and France
• Wojciech Bonkowski MW, Poland’s first Master of Wine
• Lenka Sedlackova MW, wine buyer and specialist in Central & Eastern Europe
• Stefan Neumann MS, internationally renowned Master Sommelier
• Peter Richards MW, acclaimed wine writer and broadcaster
Our own Great Greek Wines
The two wines from Rouvalis featured in this year’s GGW list, Roditis Single Vineyard “Katarachi” 2022 and Tsigello 2023, reflect the very DNA of our winery. Roditis and Mavrodaphne are the two varieties at the heart of our wine identity.
Roditis, the signature variety of Aigialeia, is inseparably linked to our winery through Angelos Rouvalis’ iconic Asprolithi, long established as the best Roditis in Greece. Today, we are raising the bar for this variety, evolving Roditis beyond its classic expression as a fresh, everyday wine and highlighting its potential to stand on the high wine stage.
On the other hand, another historic variety from Achaia, Mavrodaphne, has in recent years brought its dry expression to the forefront, becoming a benchmark for Greek red wine. The deep red Tsigello is the first fruit of the new era at Rouvalis Winery. With numerous distinctions in Greece and abroad, Tsigello had secured a place on the GGW50 list as early as 2020, in the very first edition of this prestigious institution.
Recognition for the New Era of Rouvalis Winery
Under the guidance of Theodora Rouvalis and Antonio Ruiz Pañego, Rouvalis Winery is making a clear statement by placing emphasis on Roditis and Mavrodaphne. These two traditional grape varieties, deeply rooted in the region, have become the hallmark of the winery’s new era.
With new plantings in our privately owned Syracho vineyard—an organic model vineyard at 1,000 meters altitude above the Vouraikos River—we are investing in the future of Greek winegrowing. Here, for the first time in Greece, we have planted the 7 clones of pink-skinned Roditis selected by Mr. Kostas Bakasietas, as well as the very first clone of Tsigello.
Late-ripening varieties that adapt better to the challenges of climate change, Roditis and Mavrodaphne, appealing to the global wine consumer and responding to contemporary tastes, emerge as key protagonists. Through traditional techniques that honour the authenticity of the terroir—while also embracing cutting-edge winemaking methods—we are able to express their purity and finesse, and increase their recognition both in Greece and abroad.
The inclusion of our two wines in the Great Greek Wines 2025 list is a distinction that confirms Rouvalis Winery’s commitment to bringing Greek wine to the international stage—by honouring tradition and embracing a contemporary viticultural and oenological philosophy.