THE JOURNEY, WITH KNOWLEDGE AND PASSION AS OUR GUIDE
GAIA WINES THE AMMONITE SYMBOL
A fossil from the depths of the sea of Santorini, the
ammonite carries with it the ancient whispers and timeless secrets of the Greek
land. This emblem journeys across the globe alongside Gaia Wines, proudly
bearing the names of Greece’s most exceptional and distinctive wine regions: Nemea in
Peloponnese and Santorini — homes to the legendary grape
varieties Agiorgitiko and Assyrtiko.
Gaia Wines was founded in 1994 by two visionary
agriculturists: Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, who holds a PhD in Enology from the
University of Bordeaux III, and Leon Karatsalos, both graduates of the
Agricultural University of Athens (AUT). Their passion and expertise reflect a
quintessential Greek spirit—one of exploration, learning, and a deep connection
to the land.
At the heart of Gaia Wines lies a profound respect for the unique terroirs of Nemea, Peloponnese and Santorini.
Nemea, with its rich, sun-soaked limestone hills in the northeastern Peloponnese, is world-renowned for producing the velvety, full-bodied Agiorgitiko grape—offering complexity and elegance rooted in centuries of tradition.
Santorini, the volcanic jewel, with its mineral-rich volcanic soils and breathtaking landscapes, nurtures the Assyrtiko grape—a variety prized for its vibrant acidity, crisp minerality, and unparalleled expression of place.
Together, these regions embody the soul of Gaia
Wines—where ancient history meets modern expertise. Through their wines, the
founders share with wine lovers around the world not just a taste, but a story,
a journey, and a celebration of Greece’s remarkable viticultural heritage.
Our basic option was to install our wineries in the two most important wine growing regions of Greece, Santorini and Nemea, and to produce competitive wines of high-quality standards.
We expected people reading the labels of Gaia Wines to understand this provocative idea, which was our driving force, and always remains the same: to explore in depth the boundaries of the Greek varieties, making them well-known all over the world.
At the heart of GAIA Wines is its people — a team driven by professionalism, precision, perseverance, and a deep sense of unity. Their shared vision and dedication are what breathe life into every bottle, and what earn our wines the recognition and admiration of wine lovers around the world.
THALASSITIS
1994
GAIA WINES came out into the market with 9,600 bottles of a Santorini P.D.O White Wine with the name Thalassitis, which partly challenged the established standards for the dry white wines, something that was welcomed with enthusiasm by wine lovers. As a result, Thalassitis conquered a position among the new qualitative Greek labels.NOTIOS White
1996
This wine is a member of the “NOTIOS” series, which was created from our desire to explore the wine aspects of the Peloponnesian vineyard. NOTIOS White is produced from a balanced vinification of Moschofilero, a variety originating in the Arcadian plateau, and the Roditis variety from the hills of Corinthia.NOTIOS Red
1996
The next member of the series is NOTIOS Red, coming from the vinification of Agiorgitiko, originating from the semi-mountainous Koutsi commune of Nemea.New private vineyard in Nemea
1997
A 7-hectare private vineyard in Koutsi commune of Nemea and a new well-equipped winery, with a capacity of 3,000 hectoliters.GAIA ESTATE
1997
GAIA ESTATE, a red wine Nemea P.D.O which challenges the previously prevailing perception for Agiorgitiko not being able to give long-aged wines.AGIORGITIKO 14-18h
1997
A rosé wine made from Agiorgitiko coming from the semi-mountainous vineyards based at Asprokambos and Clementi subregions at an altitude of 800 m. A rosé wine seeking red codes of conduct.RITINITIS NOBILIS
1997
With Ritinitis Nobilis we aimed to redefine Retsina’s quality and flavor and also is to uphold Greek tradition. The result is a cool wine that balances marvelously between grapes and pine trees.THALASSITIS OAK FERMENTED
1999
THALASSITIS OAK FERMENTED is a Santorini P.D.O wine, with an extremely limited number of bottles.AGIORGITIKO by GAIA & ANATOLIKOS
2001
A sweet red wine from Agiorgitiko! Made from carefully selected Agiorgitiko grapes, this wine’s production is influenced by the long tradition and history of Nemea, which aims at their slow dehydration by leaving them to dry under the mild Greek autumn sun.
GAIA S
2006
In 2006, wishing to complete our «adventure» with the Agiorgitiko variety, we decided to combine it with a foreign variety. The charismatic Syrah, which is cultivated in Koutsi, participates at around 30% in this rich and mature blend. This wine was named «GAIA S» and we like to believe it augurs the dawn of a new era in Nemea winemaking.
ASSYRTIKO by GAIA – WILD FERMENT
2008
In 2008 an unconventional wine sprang to life from the Santorini winery. This was Assyrtiko by GAIA – WILD FERMENT. The matured and high-quality grapes of Assyrtiko are delicately selected and come exclusively from the mountainous Pyrgos vineyard. A fact that ensures a wine with a more aromatic character, than that from other areas of the island. This remarkably different taste profile of Assyrtiko, presented a new variety of Santorini wines which fast became a best seller in European markets.
Submerging THALASSITIS
2009
In this year, 450 bottles of Thalassitis were submerged in Santorini’s sea, and left there to age, far from natural light and oxygen, and to test the strength of this variety.
VINSANTO by GAIA
2012
After 10 years aging in oak barrels, VINSANTO by Gaia, a natural sweet wine produced in Santorini, came out in the market.
Emergence of THALASSITIS
2014
Unfortunately, from the 2009 harvest only 3 bottles of submerged THALASSITIS were rescued, but the result was still impressive. An exceptional aged wine without any oxidation, ranging between a new and a very sophisticated product. Since then, this ritual has been repeated symbolizing GAIA WINES innovation and constant research. In 2010, 258 bottles were emerged…and we continue!
NOTIOS RED & NOTIOS WHITE
2015
Two everyday wines: the first is a red wine produced by two well cooperating varieties of the Mediterranean South (Agiorgitiko & Syrah). The second is a white wine coming from the three finest white Greek varieties, Rhoditis Alepou from the Aegean Mountains, Moschofilero from the Arkadian Plateau and Assyrtiko – which originates in Santorini but is raised in a Peloponnesian way.
MONOGRAPH MOSCHOFILERO, MONOGRAPH ASSYRTIKO, MONOGRAPH AGIORGITIKO
2015
The MONOGRAPH family brings to wine-lovers a more approachable and friendly face of some of the most exquisite varieties of the Greek Southern Mediterranean.
4-6h AGIORGITIKO
2016
4-6h was created to complete, alongside its predecessor 14-18h ,the rosé exploration we started some years ago.
MOSCHOFILERO BY GAIA – WILD FERMENT
2019
A new dimension of this multifaced variety is revealed with the method of wild fermentation.
MONOGRAPH ROSE
2019
The semidried Rose from Agiorgitiko is the last addition to the Monograph family.
NYCHTERI BY GAIA
2019
Thalassitis Oak Fermented is renamed Nychteri of Gaia. The new name supports the PDO area as well as its colorful character.
ASSYRTIKO CLAY
2020
The orange edition of Assyrtiko, is released after four years of aging in clay vessels.
30 YEARS GAIA Wines – OPTIMUS
2024
After 30 years of progress and bold choices in the world of wine Gaia Wines proudly presents OPTIMUS. A distinctive wine made of Agiorgitiko clone with the addition of Vertzami grape variety, which inaugurates a new approach to the vinification, cultivation, production and maturation of the top Peloponnesian red variety.
GAIA S FAMILY
2025
GAIA Wines presents the complete GAIA S series, expanding the character of Assyrtiko and Agiorgitiko in synergy with the great international varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah.
