Palivou
In the heart of the historic Ancient Nemea Valley in the Peloponesse is Palivou Vineyards, owned by George Palivos and his wife, Angeliki. While the vineyards have been in the family for one hundred fifty years, winemaking in Nemea has existed for 3,500 years. The most famous grape variety of the Nemea region is Agiorgitiko named after the first Byzantine Church built in the town. Agiorgitiko is a beautifully balanced red wine full of body and berry fruit flavors and tannins giving it a long finish. Nemea, the appellation, is required to be 100% Agiorgitiko grape varietal with minimal aging of 12 months in oak. Although Agiorgitiko is the only appellation of Nemea, other varieties are planted, such as Alepou Roditis, Malagouzia, Chardonnay and Syrah. Alepou Roditis is the most elegant of the Roditis clones yielding a crisp white wine with pronounced fruit flavors and a creamy finish.
George Palivos’ philosophy as a wine maker is simple. He believes that the wine is made in the vineyard and not the winery. His is a labor of love. He pays particular attention to the terroir in order to yield high quality wine. The environment is perfect for making robust fruity wines with high acidity thereby giving a beautifully balanced wine. The vineyards are 1400-2133 feet above sea level in a mountainous region near the Bay of Corinth. The red chalky soil, the cool breeze of the Bay and steep slopes yield the ideal conditions for creating beautiful wines. Mr. Palivos states that he lets the vineyard make the wine fully respecting Mother Nature and the grapes that give us the must. He, of course, is humble. At harvest time, he and his family are the first to examine the grapes before they are handpicked. The vinification process is classic in his state of the art winery using stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, specifically barriques.
The Palivou portfolio includes Anemos White, Anemos Red, Vissino Rose, Stone Hills White, Nemea Red and Ammos Reserve Nemea Red.