When wine tradition, archaeology and innovation meet, Afianes wine estate was created with love and artistry in 1997 in Raches of Ikaria.
From the first moment, the main goal of Nikos Afianes and his wife Maria, was for the ikarian wine to re-acquire it`s ancient identity on the international wine map.
Today 20 years later Afianes Wines have established themselves worldwide as unique and special in their kind, while they combine and utilize the ancient wine tradition of Ikaria, with exquisite grape-varieties and innovative wine making methods.
The primary goal is the continuation of the unique tradition of winemaking of Ikaria, which finds its routes in antiquity and took place in the outdoors, in buried amphoras underground. Promoting only the indigenous varieties Fokiano and Begleri, that now give Protected Geographical Indication of Ikaria, was another goal we achieved for our country.
Innovation is another part of our goal, since we managed to a great extent to control the wild yeast, in order to create unique special wines which can satisfy and impress wine lovers across the globe with their unique tastes. Moreover, we innovate creating natural sparkling wines, giving a new aspect to the two indigenous varieties.
During the last two years, we have focused on evolving the traditional wine making methods, with almost no use of machines, the so called Natural Wines. Alongside, we follow the principals of Bioculture , as much for the vineyard and for our winery through the ΔΗΩ (a Certifying Agency), furthermore, we began the adaptation according to the principals of Biodynamics.
The traditional wine stone press (patitiri) holds a dominant position in our estate and its role is not only for decorative reasons, but for production purposes too. We believe in respecting the environment, we can get the best out of it, rewarding us for our caution and patience. That is after all the standard that defines the life in Ikaria since the beginning of its history.
❝Wines of raw, natural, unfiltered biodynamic & organic cultivation❞
The grand opening and the 1 st Interational Conference about the Archeology of Wine in Greece and Cyprus
Our modern establishment, at Profitis Ilias of Raches Ikaria, inaugurated in September, 2007, and coincided with the 1 st International Conference about the Archeology of Wine, took place in Ikaria in co-operation with the University of Cambridge. This event was unique of its kind, as 28 academics from different universities from all over the world presented original papers, analyzing and interpreting the advancement of the ancient wine making as well as customs, traditions, ways of production and storing of wine. During the conference, participants visited our winery, recognizing the valuable contributionto maintaining a primitive way of winemaking.
This conference was the springboard for the new beginning of Ikaria in the world of wine, as the two singularities of the island emerged from both wine making techniques, the buried amphoras and the siphon.
The new generation and our Philosophy
The international distinctions in competitions and the reviews internationally regarding media for our winery and wines contributed to the recognition of Ikaria and it`s wine.
The future development of our winery will be assisted with the active participation of our two children. Our son Konstantinos, winemaker, studied in Bordeaux and our daughter Eftychia, with studies on marketing and management in Nice of France, form the new generation of our estate. They have already integrated in the team aiming higher with love and passion for the history of their birthplace.
We commit to continue with the same energy and principals to create fine wines, ideal to accompany you any day of your life. Because, we believe in personal contact, we would like to meet and know all the friends of our wines and wine estate. We will be waiting for you on the island of Icarus on our estate to guide you through the history of this place and the tastes this land can offer. Also, share our dream, and if possible become our supporters.