Wine Lovers in Olympus Pieria

From 950€

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Our experience will start at Thessaloniki where we will participate in a 4-hour guided tour around the main archaeological and cultural sites of the city, such as the Αrch of Galerius, the Roman Market and the White Tower, where we will realize that Thessaloniki has been a multicultural city for centuries. Except for the local culture and history, we will get to know the local cuisine by tasting some local dishes and the most typical local wine variety in Central Makedonia “Xinomavro” at a traditional tavern at the region “Castles of Thessaloniki”.

The next morning after an overnight stay at Thessaloniki, we will depart for Litochoro (Pieria) by bus or train. We will have free time at the traditional village of Litochoro to walk in its alleys and admire the Macedonian architecture of its buildings. There we will start our “photoshooting contest”, we will try to capture in the best and most artistic way the unique beauties of the village and the Enipeas river. We will post on our social media our photos with the necessary “hashtags” and the most popular photo will receive a gift! In the afternoon we will have a small walk by Enipeas river and we will participate in a mental empowerment workshop in nature in order to clear our mind and let ourself experience the mindfulness feeling.

The 3rd morning, we will take breakfast based on local products and then have a 2-hour guided tour at the Archaeological Museum and site of Dion, which houses the archeological findings of the ancient Macedonian city of Dion, that was dedicated to the king of the ancient Greek gods, Zeus (Dias). There we will admire one of the most impressive mosaics in Greece, the "Villa of Dionysus", with a representation of the life of the ancient god of wine, entering deeper into the world of wine. Τhen, we will visit the bio-vineyard of Ktima Karasimou located in a hill with an excellent view. There, we will taste some of the varieties produced in the winery such as Chardonnay, Ugni Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and pair them with local dishes, while the sun will be setting and its last rays will cover the vineyards

On the 4th day, our wine journey will continue at Kourtis Winery, where Mr. Apostolos will welcome us and talk to us about the Greek rare variety “Vidiano” that he cultivates. Also, we will learn more about the local varieties of Assyrtiko, Xinomavro and Agiorgitiko and will taste the estate labels based on these varieties. There, around the plane trees we will have a feast! We will enjoy a meal with traditional dishes while listening to traditional music played by local musicians calling us to dance together. In the evening, if our visit to Pieria is in the summer, we will visit one of the events of the Olympus Festival, which takes place every year for more than 50 years, in archeological sites of the area such as the ancient theatre of Dion and the Castle of Platamonas. In the period of time that these cultural events are not available, we will participate in a mental empowerment workshop instead, where we can calm down, express our thoughts and share our emotions and experiences regarding our wine experience so far.

The next day, we will head to our bike-friendly hotel located at the Olympus Riviera (called “Olympiaki Akti”). In the nearby area we will visit Pantoulis winery that is located almost next to the sea. After the tour at the winery, the cellar and the traditional distillery, we will relax and experience the tasting ritual in the beautifully decorated tasting area of ​​the winery. We will then have some free time for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, we will go bicycling by the famous coastline of Olympus Riviera. While bicycling, we will feel on our face the sea breeze and the rays of the sun that combine with the special geomorphology of the place and give that unique taste to the grapes and the wines of the Olympus region.

The next morning, we will enjoy our sleep a bit more and enjoy the view from our balconies. We will have a Greek brunch at the restaurant of the hotel, where we can talk for a while with the hotel owner who is very proud of his endeavor to select carefully local products from all over Pieria and serve them in his dishes. Full of energy, depending on the weather conditions we will swim at the crystal-clear waters of the wonderful beach at Olympus Riviera or/and kayak per two, exercising our collaboration skills. Then we will enjoy local cuisine at a traditional tavern by the sea and in the evening, we will participate in a workshop in which we will make ourselves a souvenir related to wine, that will make us always remember this trip of ours.

The last day, on our way back to Thessaloniki we will participate in a pottery construction workshop at the village of Paliabela, where we will visit a local pottery lab. There, we will learn more about the art of pottery, and how this is combined with wine maintenance from the ancient times until today. We will learn more about the steps of a pottery construction, we will feel the clay in our hands and give it shape. From there, we will take the bus that departs for Thessaloniki with our hearts and minds full of unforgettable memories.