About Gaia
Gaia Wines is one of the pioneering forces behind the modern Greek wine revolution. Founded in 1994 by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos (PhD in Enology, University of Bordeaux III) and Leon Karatsalos, both graduates of the Agricultural University of Athens, Gaia set out to showcase the extraordinary potential of Greece's indigenous grape varieties to the world. The winery began humbly with roughly €30,000 each from the founders, renting a single tank in Santorini to produce their debut wine—Thalassitis Assyrtiko. This 1994 vintage of just 9,800 bottles quickly established Gaia as a benchmark for exceptional Santorini wines, earning recognition both domestically and internationally. Following this success, Gaia expanded in 1997 to Nemea in the Peloponnese, establishing a 7-hectare vineyard in the Koutsi village to cultivate Agiorgitiko, Greece's noble red grape. The Santorini winery in Monolithos occupies a converted 19th-century tomato processing plant—a charming nod to the island's agricultural heritage. Gaia has continued to innovate, including a groundbreaking 2009 project aging Assyrtiko underwater at 25 metres depth for four years. Today, approximately 40% of production is exported to Europe, North America, Australia, and Brazil. The winery remains dedicated to its mission of merging traditional Greek viticultural methods with modern techniques, championing indigenous grapes and unique terroirs.