Domaine Karanika
The winemaking philosophy is minimal handling of grapes and wines with few additions, and respectful to the earth. They believe that only in natural balance one can find true quality. They follow nature, instead of trying to control it. Certified organic since 2009 with biodynamic practices in the vineyard and winery.
Domaine Karanika was founded by Laurens M. Hartman-Karanika, the son of a Greek mother and a Dutch father, and his wife, Annette van Kampen. Both have lived all their life in the Netherlands and had worked for about 15 years. Their common love for good wine and discontent with commercial “Parkerised” wines, led them one day back in early 2004 to pursue their dream: produce world-class organic sparkling wines following only the traditional method. Over the years, they were trained as a winemaker, enologist and viticulturalist in Europe and the US while searching for the right combination of terroir and grape varieties. After serious consideration of options from Australia to Germany, their love for the amazing Xinomavro variety, not yet famous then, led them to Amyndeo in Greece where their dream started coming to life.
Amyndeo, Greece
Amyndeo or Amyntaio (named after the grandfather of Alexander he Great), in the far north west of Greece towards the border of Albania and North Macedonia, is around 700 metres above sea level. It lies on the far side of Mount Vermio, blocked off from the influence of the Aegean. These features of Amyndeon's setting cause the local climate to be entirely continental, though moderated somewhat by the influence of four lakes, of which Lake Vegoritis is the biggest.
Amyndeo has the coolest climate of all the wine producing regions of Greece. Soil tends to be a sandy clay around Xinonero, on the slopes west of Amydeon, and a sandy loam around Ayios Panteleimonas, on the plain area just west of lake Petron, with considerable variation in calcium content from vineyard to vineyard.
