In 1997, Yiannis Boutaris stepped away from the large family business to follow what he called his “vigneron soul”. The Greek wine maverick, visionary winemaker and wildlife activist founded Ktima Kir-Yianni with a dream that was bigger than commerce, one rooted in terroir, tradition and the unrelenting pursuit of quality. When he passed the baton to his son Stellios in 2004, that dream became a legacy. Today, Ktima Kir-Yianni is a leading Greek winery with exports to 54 countries, and the first in Greece to join International Wineries for Climate Action.
The estate owns two properties in Northern Greece: one in Naoussa, the other in Amyndeon. Though only 90 minutes apart by car, they are worlds apart in character. The Naoussa estate sits at 280 metres altitude among the highest points of the PDO zone, with 48 hectares divided into 42 blocks according to soil, slope, orientation and exposure. Systematic research has taken place in these vineyards since the 1960s, with management now conducted on a vine-by-vine basis. The Amyndeon estate climbs higher still, between 600 and 700 metres, where unique biodiversity neighbours lakes, mountains and the NATURA 2000 Network of Protected Areas. Both terroirs are key appellations for Xinomavro, the red grape that forms the backbone of the estate’s philosophy.
At Ktima Kir-Yianni, making wine keeps the team always on their toes. With a restless soul, every day is an opportunity to learn, discover, work on new or old ideas and experiment from vine to wine whilst mitigating challenges like climate change and mastering patience. The privilege of working on two outstanding terroirs, Naoussa and Amyndeon, which blend history, authenticity and unbelievable potential, drives them forward. They are building up tradition through innovation.
The portfolio embodies icon wines like Ramnista, a PDO Naoussa from Xinomavro grapes. From its first vintage in 1994, this wine has lived to tell the story of the Kir-Yianni family: the vision, the winemaker’s personality, the dedicated work on Xinomavro that keeps evolving in time. Always with remarkable consistency in highest quality and a fascinating, terroir-driven character that pays tribute to its singular Xinomavro backbone. Alongside Xinomavro, the estate grows Assyrtiko in Amyndeon, where the white grape offers an outstanding mountainous expression, distinct from its more famous volcanic incarnation in Santorini.
Ktima Kir-Yianni was the first Greek winery to measure and verify its carbon footprint by ISO 14064. Sustainability runs through every step of production, from certified pest management to experimentation with organic and regenerative vine growing. The estate also collaborates with local vine growers on an ongoing effort to locate, preserve and monitor old, often ungrafted pre-phylloxera Xinomavro vines across various villages in the PDO Amyndeon zone, a project they call Kali Riza, meaning “good root” in Greek.
