Alpha Estate Red Blend Vin de Pays Florina Axia Xinomavro Syrah 2008

ALPHA ESTATE is located in the Amyndeon region, in North West Greece. It is the brainchild of two visionaries, the skilled, second generation vine grower, Makis Mavridis and Angelos Iatridis, the winemaker, educated in Bordeaux, trained in Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone, Champagne and winemaker to many, international well known, Greek wines. The company was founded in 1997. The reorganization of the vineyard was carefully studied and it began in 1994. The sustainable management and exploitation of the privately owned, single block vineyard, with high standards in its installation and management, and the production of wines of distinctive Quality, in the state of the wine-art and most functional winery, located in the heart of the vineyard, are conditions that met all pre-requirements for the safeguarding of the qualitative potential. The final objective is the recognition of ALPHA ESTATE products within the international wine community with a simultaneous showcase of the Greek vineyard. No compromise to the application of our know-how achievements, our experience, and our ecological ethics. VINEYARD The revival of a 69ha (170,5 acres) privately owned vineyard, model so much for its installation as for its management, represents a massive and pioneering investment. The everyday application of the latest international innovatory techniques in the vineyard is a necessity for ALPHA ESTATE. Human participation and interaction in this process represents the identity and consequently the particularity of the final result, ALPHA ESTATE wines. The selection of the vineyard-site in the specific location was based in long observations and studies on vilifications, directly related with the evaluation of the vine potential of the sub-region itself. Ideal soils for high quality vinegrowing: low fertility, sandy, sandy - clay, relatively neutral, with excellent drainage, offer the essential conditions for the production of wines with ‘’serious’’ and complex bouquet, exceptional elegance and finesse, rich structure and well balanced body, supported by exceptional acidity, promising wines of long ageing potential. The climatic conditions ensure to the full extend the qualitative characteristics of our wines. Cold winters, with substantial rain and snow falls assure for the vines all necessary conditions to cope with the relatively dry and arid summer. The plateau (at 580-710 meters / 1.900 - 2.330 feet of altitude), limited by three mountains (Voras, Vitsi, Vermio) and two lakes (Petron and Agios Panteleimonas), each one on each side of the Estate, contribute as regulatory factor to the necessary climatic balance, creating a unique terroir (meso-climate), following the evolution of the new climatic changes. The necessary temperature fluctuations between day and night during the vegetative period and the northwest waving winds assure the health and longevity of the vineyard. ALPHA ESTATE’S PHILOSOPHY In this particular soil and climatic environment of ALPHA ESTATE, the human factor plays a key regulatory role in shaping and expressing the dynamics of the vine ecosystem in the area. Restocking and reorganizing the vineyard, into a single block, privately owned, right next to the winery, absolutely assures the minimum aggravation of the harvested grapes’ quality. The application of integrated vinification practices were based on new international standards, with absolute respect to the sanitary demands in all production areas, aiming to the entire protection and expression of the uniqueness of our wines. The team effort undergone for so many months in the vineyard is as a capable and necessary condition leading to the desirable result, wines sealed under the ALPHA ESTATE label. Main feature of our work is the “soul’’ of the people that join everyday in the dream. Read less