PRODUCER: Ktima Kissa
REGION: Peloponnese, Greece
WINEMAKERS: Dimitris Kissa
WINERY HISTORY
Dimitris Kissa represents the fourth generation of this family estate, based in the enchanting, mountainous region of Corinth in the Peloponnese. The story begins in 1890, when his great-grandfather, George Kissas, first produced wine on a small scale. His grandfather, Dimitrios, built the winery in 1949 - one of the first in Corinth - working with indigenous varieties such as Roditis and Savatiano.
The next chapter came with Dimitris’s father, George, who invested in estate vineyards, beginning in the region of Diminio. In 2008, after years of research and a growing fascination with the mountainous terroir of Corinth, he established the estate’s main vineyards in Kallithea, on the slopes of the Black Mountain. Here, across 16 hectares, he planted a mix of Greek varieties - Moschofilero, Savatiano, Malagousia and Assyrtiko - alongside smaller parcels of Pinot Noir and Muscat Blanc.
Dimitris himself studied oenology at UC Davis before gaining experience in California, Australia and Greece, eventually returning to take the reins of winemaking. Under his guidance, the wines have reached new levels of clarity, precision and finesse, offering pure expressions of each variety alongside impressive value for money.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
This is remarkable terroir, yet still largely underappreciated. The dry-farmed 16 hectares of vines are planted on steep, rocky and loamy soils - dominated by stournaropetra, a local flinty stone - at elevations of 750-900 metres. The combination of altitude and cooling winds from the Gulf of Corinth enables Dimitris to craft wines of exceptional freshness and acidity, with relatively low alcohol and a vibrant, energetic character.
Here, the naturally aromatic Moschofilero and Malagousia yield wines that are as perfumed on the nose as they are balanced and lively on the palate. Assyrtiko, too, thrives in this setting, expressing a different side to its Santorini origins - trading volcanic intensity for bright, mountain-driven freshness.
All the wines - apart from their Pinot Noir - are fermented at cool temperatures and aged for several months in stainless steel to preserve aromatic purity and tension. The naturally low pH of these high-altitude vineyards allows for minimal sulphur use.
Unsurprisingly, these are deeply gastronomic wines - bright, saline, and coming alive alongside seafood, sun-drenched plates, and effortless summer cooking.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Moschofilero, Malagousia, Assyrtiko, Savatiano, Pinot Noir and Muscat Blanc.
