Nemea is one of the popular destinations in the Peloponnese, a significant winemaking region that is of great archaeological interest, too. Next to Korinthos and Loutraki, Nemea is surrounded by fertile plains that have contributed to the area’s well-being with their yields for many a century. This is where you will find the largest single vineyard in Greece producing wines that are renowned the world over, producing the famous worldwide Agiorgitiko wine.
The archaeological site of Nemea is where a top local event has been taking place for the last twenty-odd years: this is the revival of ‘Nemeia’ i.e. the sports games that used to take place in ancient Nemea since 573 BC and every two years in turns with the Olympic Games and the games in Delphi and Isthmia. The Modern Nemeia Games were revived in 1996, 2300 years later, and they take place every four years, with many athletes and spectators coming and participating from across the world.
The huge viticultural zone of Nemea covers an area of 26,000,000 m2. The grape variety that has been cultivated for over 3,000 years in the area is the red Agiorgitiko varietal, which has turned Nemea into a fascinating wine tourism destination. These age-old vineyards are the terroir where the PDO Nemea wines are produced, offering top quality red and rosé wines that are famous the world over. The white clay soil, the particular microclimate of the area and the different ground elevations yield grapes that produce a varied range of wine types: some are easy-to-drink, fresh and fruity, some are full-bodied, with complicated aromas and some mature to become vintage wines.
The area’s vineyards are dotted with dozens of wineries that are open to visitors and offer wine tours, wine-tasting and food pairing sessions and seminars on the cycle of wine-making. The annual event Great Days of Nemea takes place every September where all wineries of the region are open to visitors. It is a first class opportunity for every traveller to embark on an intoxicating and flavourful trip in a place blessed by nature and well-loved by its people! Meet the winemakers and learn everything you need to know about one of the most promiment Greek wine varietal.