at Agios Stefanos Beach 🍷 The Semeli Estate was an exciting port of call for me, during my latest exploration of the vineyards of mainland Greece, because it produces some of my favourite wines. It is named after the mother of the ancient Greek god of wine, Dionysus. The estate’s vineyards are in Nemea (Koutsi) and Mantinia at an altitude of 600 m. in the eastern Peloponnese. The views are simply breathtaking - vistas of timeless tranquility. Links to the ancient Greek world do not end there: Hercules performed his first feat - the slaying of the ferocious Nemean lion - in one of its mountain caves. The Hotel Nafsika and the wines of Semeli have an association which goes back 20+ years. We feel that the estate produces wines of exceptional quality which also offer consumers value for money. This bond was further enhanced for me by having my cousin, from Stellar Imports in the US, carry these wines and represent them throughout North America. While the estate boasts ultramodern equipment, and has strict specifications of cultivation and grape selection, it by no means lacks the human touch. The passion of those who tend the vines is obvious and their skills have been handed down from generation to generation. The result? Wines of unusual character and exceptional quality. The Semeli Grand Reserve is, in my opinion, the jewel in the estate’s crown and staff admit that it is their pride and joy. For those who enjoy imagining a taste, it has been described as ‘bright cherry and raisins on the nose and red berry fruit and prunes on the palate’. There is a savoury (curiously coupled with an almost sweet cigar-box spicy) character overall. I make these forays into Greece’s winemaking areas when the Nafsika has closed for the winter. I can express my appreciation and enjoyment of the efforts made by the dedicated winemakers no more eloquently than the late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, when he said of human endeavour. ‘Ultimately it comes down to taste.....trying to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then trying to bring those things into what you are doing’. I’ll drink to that! 🍷 #semeliestate #nafsikahotel (at Semeli Winery) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4uaBh8hmnS/?igshid=9as1164rida0