HISTORY

We have been bottling wines since 2002, but the winemaking history goes much further in the past.

One of the fundamental wineries in Nemea is called “Zacharias Winery Ltd”. In the recent past, continued distinctions have been received from international competitions, making the company one of the fastest-growing powerhouses in the winemaking field.  

One of the most talented people in the field of winemaking was Elias Zacharias, the founder of the company. Mr. Zacharias is a graduate of the Agricultural University of Athens, and in possession of a high level of expertise. Most of all, he is deeply willing to give back to the place where he was born and raised, and has incessantly been offering his agriculturalist services to Nemea since 1974.

With cutting edge technology, Zacharias Vineyards have been blending the priceless gifts of tradition, and their long experience with great scientific expertise. Zacharias Vineyards are in a constant trajectory of modernization, research and excellent winemaking.

Their vision is:
-To popularize the local varietals –especially the Agiorgitiko and the Sklava- to the forefront of both the Greek and the international winemaking scenes;
-To be able to create wines, acknowledged for their quality, as well for their competitive prices in the wine industry;
-To create environment-friendly products that respect nature and humankind.

Their philosophy as a winery is that if you want to create high quality products, you have to start looking the quality of the vineyard. Each day, we use the most up-to-date scientific methods into practice for the vineyards, characterized by the utmost respect towards the grapes by minimalizing the environment pollution as less as possible. Exceptionally standard wines are being created, as we do the best effort to always balance quality and price. Their vision and faith, is to make quality wine accessible to a wider buying audience. Based on these two principles, the winery keeps growing, and evolving its products, thanks to the coalescence of experience, knowledge and research that has been made.

FACILITIES

Priding a rich history, the winery is unique in its combination of tradition and cutting-edge technology.

The company’s winery, one of the largest and most historically important in the area, is built two kilometres out of Nemea, on the regional Nemea-Petrion Road. It lies at the heart of the Nemea vineyard, opposite to the hill where the Acropolis of Ancient Phlious once loomed. Ancient Greeks called the area Phliasian field or Phliasian land. From the same soil of this area, the renowned Phliasian wine was produced.

The winery was built in three stages. The first facilities were built in 1960 and have never stopped being productive ever since. In 1973, the winery was expanded and evolved, according to the optimal French standards, with the introduction of the prevalent French know-how into Nemea, with the acquisition of underground cellars, and imposing concrete wine tanks. Lastly, the winery was fully upgraded and reached its current stage in 2004.

Nevertheless, an upgrading process is underway, thanks to the implementation of a large investment plan. This involves restructuring various spots which are open to the public, as well as creating a sustainable infrastructure, designed to save up energy and protect the environment.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS

Ensured Quality, all the way from the vineyard to your glass – Research and Development for the Greek Winemaking Industry

For Zacharias Vineyards, quality is fully integrated into all of the winery’s processes. The company applies:
• A Quality Management System in accordance with the ISO 9001 standards: in this way, we ensure that the products and services are being continually optimized;
• A HACCP system in accordance with the ISO 22000 standards: are products are rendered safe for the consumers’ health;
• A system of winemaking from organic grapes, in accordance with the European Commission Regulations.

Researching and developing always have been two of the most important processes of the company, with the double aim of:
• ensuring the creation of competitive products, through processes which are respectful to humankind and the environment alike;
• promoting the complex science and technology, thus offering value not just to the company itself and the Nemea region, but to the Greek winemaking industry as a whole.

The activities of the Research and Development Department include:
• The creation, in collaboration with the CGSoft Company, of an integrated winery management IT system which will be combined with the “Thesis.net” commercial suite;
• The analysis of polyphenol ingredients and their extraction kinetics during the vinification of Agiorgitiko grapes, in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens (resulting in two relevant scientific articles so far);
• The genetic identification and clonal selection of the local “Sklava” variety, in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and Professor M. Stavrakakis.

Winery:
2nd Km. of Nemea – Petri Road
20500 Nemea Greece
Tel: +30 27460 22667
Fax: 2746023579