The place
A few of our vines grow at the estate. Most are on our fields down on the Thermaikos peninsula around Epanomi — a strip of land that divides the bay of Thessaloniki from the open gulf, with the sea on three sides of it and Chalkidiki thirty miles east.
Sandy loam, wind that never quite stops, and a micro-climate that belongs to that ground and nowhere else. It is why the grapes ripen slowly and keep their acidity.
The Syrah is the exception. It grows at 650 metres on the slopes of Mount Vermio near Naoussa, above a village that also happens to be called Trilofo.
How we got here
- 1950s
- The family is making wine in the Rhine Valley in Germany. We are the third generation.
- Before 2002
- Trips down to Greece, again and again, usually in an old Citroën.
- 2002
- We stop going back. The family settles in Greece, and both of us go through the German School in Thessaloniki.
- 2008
- Building starts on the winery.
- 2012
- The winery is licensed and the first vintage goes out under our own name.
- 2025
- The restaurant opens.
The family
Florian makes the wine. He studied winemaking in Vienna, and the estate carries his name.
Felix runs the restaurant and the events. He also produces films — German productions shot here in Greece, among them Spurlos in Athen and the Herrhausen series.
Our father Gerd handles the logistics and has a hand in the winemaking decisions.
Our mother Claudia designs the labels. Each one is an attempt to catch the nose, the palate and the body of that particular vintage.
The wine
Nothing leaves here young. Every one of our sixteen labels rests at least three years before we sell it.
Seven and a half hectares. Around thirty-five thousand bottles a year, of which twelve hundred are the Malagouzia. The vines carry about 3,000 litres per hectare — less than Burgundy permits for its Grand Crus.
The cellar floor is bare clay and marble. It holds the humidity steady for the casks.
ΦΙΛΙΑ · PHILIA — from the kitchen
Modern Greek cooking by head chef Nikos Papachristodoulou: traditional flavours, prepared with French and Italian technique. He is from Edessa, and has cooked in Thessaloniki, Paris, Crete and the islands — Villa Luna and Koru here, Thalassa and Evie Evan in Paris.
We cook the Slow Food way. Every dish is made on its own, to order and from scratch. No ready-made sauces, no shortcuts.
Many of the herbs, vegetables and fruit are picked the same morning from the gardens here, and what we do not grow comes from producers we know. No long supply chains.
“Every plate I make is crafted to pair beautifully with the wines we grow right here — just steps from where you’ll be sitting.”
Just as the wines are given time, Chef Nikos gives every dish the time it deserves. So settle back with a glass, and take yours.
The Citroëns
The family keeps a collection of classic cars, mostly Citroëns. We build, fix and maintain them ourselves, and bring them out for events here at the estate.
Citroen DS Citroën Traction 15CV / H Citroën 2CV6 Citroën B14 – Familiale Citroën 11CV Pickup Citroën DS 21 Compresseur Citroën SM Carbu