Visit Ikaria
Dear friends,
We are excited to announce our new cooperation with Mary Kate as “Odyssey of Wine Tours Inc.”!
Odyssey of Wine is a wine tourism company focused on providing exceptional and curated tours exploring the unique wine heritage of the Aegean. Basing our tours around the island of Ikaria, a region world-renown for its longevity, rural beauty, and authentic experiences, our company provides small groups of travelers the chance to delve into a true cultural experience through the lens of local wine.
Odyssey of Wine Tours Inc. is Co-Owned by Nikos Afianes and Mary Kate Fitzpatrick
Having founded the Afianes estate in 1997, Nikos Afianes has made reviving and elevating the ancient wine culture of Ikaria his life’s work. His wines are a representation of the island that he calls home, and his love and respect for the land are a core tenant of his winemaking philosophy. By following biodynamic principles and continuing the island’s ancient methods of wine production, Afianes Wine creates wines of unique expression that have been widely regarded around the world. Nikos’ work, The Vine Which is in Ikaria, details the long-standing relationship of Ikarian wine with Greek culture and literature, and his contributions have succeeded in bringing recognition of Ikaria as a world wine region. He seeks to share the beauty of Ikarian wine with guests near and far.
Mary Kate Fitzpatrick has studied and worked around the world in the wine industry, including the Napa Valley, Spain, France, Portugal, and Greece. She holds her WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wine, and has completed her Masters in Wine Tourism Innovation from the competitive WINTOUR program. She completed her thesis, “Reviving the Cult of Dionysus: Leveraging Storytelling Capabilities within the Wine Industry,” under the direction of Afianes Wines in 2021, when she first fell in love with Ikaria. She is an avid reader, writer, and storyteller, and it was her love of literature that eventually led her to her love of wine. Odyssey of Wine Tours Inc. is her dream come to life, a way to honor the creative intersection of wine with culture, literature, mythology, and gastronomy. She believes it is in these overlaps where we can find our life’s inspiration, and learn what it means to be human and what it means to live well.
Why Book with Us?
This tour was exclusively designed to focus on the incredible and layered wine heritage of Ikaria for those that truly yearn for an authentic cultural experience. Our philosophy is that of slow tourism, that is, engaging deeply with the island amongst multiple planes of experience. We are committed to showing Ikaria the way it is meant to be understood, and as such, limit each tour to only 10 people so that quality and connection are prioritized.
This tour is an opportunity to discover a unique way of life, to escape the hectic day-to-day mundanity, and to give oneself the time to revel in the inspiring connections that wine can weave throughout our lives. We fervently invite you to join us on this exciting wine adventure, and we hope to share a glass of wine with you in Ikaria soon!