New Lodging Complex For Wine Lovers

Georgos Kokotos, once a well-known hotelier with units on Rodos and Crete, is back in the business: This time with a new and unique product for Greece. He is creating a winery complex with accommodation facilities for visitors who wish to acquaint themselves with the entire process of winemaking.

By this June he will have completed construction of five luxury, three-room suites, and a conference center with a capacity of up to 400 people. The complex would include an exhibition area and an up-market restaurant that would be open weekends.

The winery itself is in a 20-acre area in Koutsi, Nemea, which is a wine-producing district near Corinth. From the hilltop where the estate is situated, 550 meters above sea level, visitors can relish an extraordinary view of the Gulf of Corinth and the Argolic Gulf.

A second phase of the investment program is projected to begin early next year and foresees the construction of 27 bungalows with a swimming pool and a small wine-tasting facility. The broader overall plan, which includes the purchase of a 125-acre vine-growing area in the vicinity, is estimated to cost 6 million euros.

Mr. Kokotos says his goal is to promote what he considers the excellent characteristics of the Agiorgeitiko wine variety of Nemea. He says he picked up the idea when traveling France where winery-accommodation complexes are fairly common.

We offer a new type of holiday that also helps promote the quality characteristics of Greek tourism, says Mr. Kokotos. His wineries, which produce 14 labels, are internationally famous for their Semeli and Sauvignon brands, which are from his estate at Stamata, north of Athens.