The Alpha Estate 2025 Malagouzia Turtles Single Vineyard is delicately floral and bright, with notes of stone fruit, honeydew melon and exotic white flowers that vaguely recall jasmine and plumeria. This unoaked wine is firm and fresh, with a mineral edge that adds zest, energy and a glossy texture. The Turtles vineyard benefits from sandy clay soils over limestone and cool mountain influences that help preserve aromatic lift and freshness. Aged on the fine lees for two months with regular stirring, the wine maintains varietal purity while gaining subtle texture. Produced in 300,000 bottles, this is a charming and accessible expression of Malagouzia, a Greek grape that enjoys enormous popularity at local tavernas, where baked feta and grilled vegetables emerge from the kitchen in the hands of frenzied waiters balancing trays overhead.

Alpha Estate is a defining name in modern Greek wine. Founded by second-generation vintner Makis Mavridis and Bordeaux-trained winemaker Angelos Iatridis, the estate began with just seven hectares of vineyards in 1995 and released its first wines in 2005. Today, Alpha Estate farms 220 hectares of privately owned vines and remains entirely estate-grown, produced and bottled (which is unusual in Greece, where family-owned vineyard plots tend to be very small). The next generation is already helping to shape the company's future, with chemical engineer and winemaker Emorfili Mavridou and assistant winemaker Angeliki Iatridou taking active roles in the family business.

The estate is located in the Amyndeon appellation of northwestern Greece, a high-altitude wine region increasingly viewed as the Shangri-La of cool-climate Greek viticulture. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, with vineyards planted between 620 and 720 meters above sea level, Amyndeon combines a semi-continental climate with sandy clay soils over limestone, which preserve natural acidity. Long associated with Xinomavro, the appellation is attracting growing international attention for good reason, and it's emerging as one of Greece's most dynamic sources of red, rosé and white wines.

Alpha Estate continues to expand through new ventures, including AmOenos Vineyards and the Gioinos sparkling wine project. Most notably, the estate recently acquired the former Boutari winery on Santorini, marking an important move onto Greece's most internationally recognized wine island. Although the acquisition has generated considerable interest, there are currently no wines available for tasting from the Santorini project. The first releases are expected toward the end of the summer, according to my conversations with the winery. Published: Jun 25, 2026