The Monemvasia Winery created the first privately owned 121 hectares of vineyard, planted with local varieties. It is committed to producing quality wines which showcase the characteristics of the indigenous varieties and the terroir of the peninsula of Maleas.
A mild winter was followed by a relatively dry spring. The hot summer of 2012 was characterised by prolonged heat waves and very high temperatures. This continued through to harvest, with temperatures reaching 35°C, which resulted in a reduction in yield of 30%. The fruit showed concentrated flavours and mild acidity.
. A blend of Monemvasia 60%, Kydonitsa 20%, Asproudi 10%, Assyrtiko 10%. The grapes were sun-dried over a period of approximately 12 days. The concentrated grape must was fermented with selected yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to retain the intense fruit flavours. Maturation took place in 225 litre oak barriques of second-use and lasted for two years. Malvasia wine was renowned worldwide throughout the Middle-Ages, but in the 16th century under Ottoman rule, the vineyards were destroyed and production ceased. Under the restless spirit of the Tsimbidi family, the legendary wine has been revived, in its birthplace, after five centuries. The 2012 is only the second vintage of this wine.
"Here’s both a new story and an old one. Monemvasia in the Peloponnese was the original source of what the medieval world knew as ‘Malvasias Oenos’ – the sweet Malvasia straw wine beloved and traded over 500 years by the merchants of La Serenissima, the seafaring Venetian Republic. In recent times, almost all of it has been produced on the Cycladic island of Paros – but not this wine, whose source is vineyards close to the original walled town of Monemvasia. The Monemvasia grape variety (not a member, recent DNA analysis suggests, of the large Malvasia family) is here blended with 15 per cent of Assyrtico, 15 per cent of Kydonitsa and 10 per cent of Asprouda to make this oxidative though unfortified sweet wine (187 g/l sugar). It’s a dark walnut in colour, with softly smoky-sweet scents and rich fig-and-raisin flavours: a luxurious modern taste of a medieval Mediterranean treat." 97pts Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, Best in Show
