Ktima Gerovassiliou sits in the hills of Epanomi, about 25 kilometres south-east of Thessaloniki, and it is one of the best half-days you can spend near the city. Gerovassiliou winery is a working estate that shares its hillside with a museum of more than 2,600 corkscrews and an open-air collection of 46 sculptures. We went in February, in a sweatshirt and a light coat, on one of those clear winter days when the light is sharp and nobody is in a hurry.
Transparency note: the estate hosted our visit and gave us a bottle as we left. Nobody paid us to write this, and every opinion here is ours.
In short
- Where: Epanomi, about 25 km south-east of Thessaloniki and about 20 minutes from the airport.
- See: 46 sculptures in the gardens and among the vines, and a wine museum with more than 2,600 corkscrews.
- Taste: we tried Avaton, Xinomavro and Malagousia. The estate offers four set tastings.
- Time: a half-day. We stayed two to three hours.
- Best time: we went in February and loved the light and the quiet. Avoid rain, and note it is closed on Tuesdays.
Is Ktima Gerovassiliou worth a half-day from Thessaloniki?
Yes, and you do not need to know anything about wine to enjoy it. Three things rarely share a car park: vineyards you can walk beside, a museum that is stranger and more beautiful than you expect, and sculpture that is not fenced into a gallery. The tasting at the end gives the visit a shape. It is easily worth the drive.
Getting to Ktima Gerovassiliou from Thessaloniki
We went by car. From Thessaloniki the estate is about 25 kilometres to the south-east, and from the airport it is about twenty minutes by road. There is a car park outside the museum, and the estate keeps a few sculptures in it too. We did not research buses or taxis, so we cannot say how you would manage without a car.
How we visited
The estate runs guided tours, and we were guided through the grounds and the museum too. Everything practical on this page, from closing days to booking, comes from the estate’s own pages, linked at the end.
The vineyards in winter
In February the vines are bare, brown and neatly trained, with young roses at the end of some of the rows, and the fields beyond are already green. It is not the postcard of full summer foliage. It is quiet and easy to read: you see how the land lies and how the rows follow it, and on a clear day there is a strip of sea in the distance.
The estate’s story starts small. In the early 1980s Vangelis Gerovassiliou began reviving a modest family vineyard here, and the first wines followed in the middle of the decade. We will not quote hectares or bottle counts, because published figures differ.
46 sculptures among the vines
This is the part we remember best. The estate lists 46 artworks across the grounds, in the gardens, the vineyard, the patio, the café and the reception areas, and glass and iron look wonderful against bare winter vines.
Costas Varotsos, the Greek sculptor known for his glass work, has four pieces on the estate’s list: “Tree” in the herb garden, “Moon” in the vineyard, “Horizon” in the garden and “Future through past” inside the museum. The glass tree and the glass crescent in our photos are his. The list also includes Costas Tsoclis, George Zongolopoulos, Takis, Chryssa and many other Greek and international artists, and there is even sculpture in the car park.
We did not photograph every piece, and we would rather not guess which of the other works in our pictures is which. The estate’s own list is the reliable guide, so ask at reception. A small herb garden by the path labels each plant with its Greek and Latin name, the kind of detail that tells you someone cares about the whole site, not only the wine.
The Wine Museum
Inside, the museum is dim, warm and a little overwhelming. The estate describes more than 2,600 corkscrews, collected since the 1980s and including rare pieces from the 18th century, alongside tools for growing, making, barrelling and bottling wine that the founder began gathering in 1976.
What you actually see: long illuminated walls of corkscrews, round tables where they are laid out on old maps, and glass cases that group them by mechanism. One table sets the corkscrews among penknives, pocket tools and bottle openers on a blue gingham cloth. Near the entrance, ancient glass and clay vessels stand on grey pedestals beside old bottles, so the story begins long before the modern corkscrew. In one hall, rough blue-green glass hangs from the ceiling on thin wires among clay amphorae, and the shadows on the wall are half the piece.
The labels are in both Greek and English. A guest book lies open at the entrance, and we signed it.
Tasting at Ktima Gerovassiliou
The estate offers four set tastings, each in small 40 ml pours. Topos is five wines from Greek grape varieties, served with Greek aromatic ingredients. Cosmos is four wines from international varieties. Echo compares six wines, current and rare older vintages, with a chef’s proposal. Harmony pairs five wines with food and is available on weekdays and by reservation.
Our own tasting was arranged for us, so it may not match any of these exactly. We tried Avaton, a red, then Xinomavro and Malagousia, each glass sitting on a small card with its name. Bites came alongside: a board of cheese, cured meats, almonds and walnuts with a jam and crisp flatbreads, and small plates of roasted nuts, sun-dried tomato and fruit.
Malagousia, the grape to try
We liked all of it, but Malagousia was the one we kept coming back to. It is an old Greek white grape that nearly disappeared, and Vangelis Gerovassiliou is closely tied to its revival. The estate’s 2024 Malagousia was named Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2025, according to the estate’s own announcement. If you only taste one wine here, we would pick that one.
Booking, tickets and opening times
We checked these on the estate’s own pages. They change, so confirm before you go.
- Closed on Tuesdays and for a short break in mid-August.
- Guided tours leave from reception on a timetable through the day and last about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Admission is a small fee, and children under 18 are free.
- Groups of more than ten must book.
- Tastings are booked online on weekdays and run on a first-come basis at weekends.
- The estate’s pages do not say that individual visitors need to reserve a tour.
When to go
We loved February: clear light, bare vines, a place that felt unhurried. Spring and early summer will be green. If you want to see the harvest, ask the estate when it begins in the year you travel. Avoid rain, because the best part is the walk.
Honest notes
Our visit was hosted, so we did not pay for the tour or the tasting. Judge our praise with that in mind. Winter means bare vines. The museum is dim and detailed, so if you are tired or in a hurry you may rush it. And this is a place where you spend the time, not a quick stop.
Who it’s for
Couples and groups of friends, as a slow half-day with a glass at the end. It suits anyone who likes a bit of culture with their wine. It is less suited to a rainy day or a tight schedule.
Good to know
- Getting there: we went by car. About 25 km from Thessaloniki, about 20 minutes from the airport, with a car park outside the museum.
- Time: we stayed two to three hours with the tasting.
- Booking: groups of more than ten must book. Check the estate for tastings.
- Hosted visit: the estate hosted us, so we did not pay for the tour or the tasting.
- Checked against: the estate’s own pages, listed below.
Ktima Gerovassiliou FAQ
How far is Ktima Gerovassiliou from Thessaloniki?
About 25 kilometres south-east of the city, and about twenty minutes from the airport.
How long should you allow for a visit?
We stayed two to three hours with the tasting. The estate describes the guided tour itself as around 45 to 60 minutes.
Do you need to book?
Groups of more than ten must. Tastings are booked online on weekdays and run on a first-come basis at weekends. The estate’s pages do not say that individual visitors need to reserve a tour, but check before you go.
Is there parking at Ktima Gerovassiliou?
Yes, there is a car park outside the museum.
How many corkscrews are in the museum?
The estate describes more than 2,600.
Which wine should you taste?
We kept coming back to the Malagousia. The estate’s 2024 Malagousia won Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2025, according to the estate.
Is it suitable if you are not a wine expert?
Yes. The sculptures and the museum are interesting on their own, and the tasting is small pours served with food.
When is Ktima Gerovassiliou closed?
On Tuesdays and for a short break in mid-August. Check the estate’s pages before you go.
Is it worth visiting in winter?
Yes. We went in February and loved the clear light and the bare, tidy vines. Spring and summer will look greener, and rain would spoil the walk.
Sources
- Gerovassiliou Wine Museum (the estate)
- Visiting information (the estate)
- Tours and tastings (the estate)
- Malagousia 2024, Best in Show announcement (the estate)
The winery is about 25 km from Thessaloniki and about 20 minutes from the airport.
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Updated October 2026. Photos: Greecyz.
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