Kir Yianni  rating by the 5D Sensograph of placescases.com: 5 out of 5

May 2023

Seen         

Felt          

Heard      

Smelled   

Tasted       

Reading time: 5 min

You don’t have 5 min to read? Then try the fast mode, go only through bold and colored text: 3 мин.

You don’t have 3 min to read? See the short movie further below: 2:09 min.

Kir Yianni means Mr. Yianni and this is the man who created the winery, which is currently run by his son. It’s pronounced Kir Yani, but there’s actually a G and it’s more Giyani, but the “g” is pronounced gutturally, so it’s easier to say it with “ya”.

Actually Mr. Yanni’s last name is Botaris, he was the mayor of Thessaloniki. He was very keen to contribute to the development of the Naosa region and devoted a large part of his active years to the winery.

When we planned the tour of the Naosa wine region, a visit to Kir Yianni was a priority, and we had to have lunch at the restaurant, because we had heard good things about it. It is worth spending more time there, not just for tasting. Why I think so, read further.

See Kir Yianni winery…

… Green, beautiful – vineyards, a pond with swans, the lonely tower in the distance, a blue tractor in the meadow (for Instagram photos) – many things that cause interest and pleasure for the eyes;

Being in the northern part of Greece, in a hilly area, Naousa is greener than the southern parts, it seems atypical. This is also the reason why good wine is made there.

… The rooms with the vessels for fermentation are several, with neat cleanliness and arrangement;

… In the vineyard workers cleaning the vines.

Feel Kir Yianni winery…

… A warm welcome, the people who gave us the tour were very friendly, happy to do their jobs;

… In addition to tasting and lunch, you can go to Kir Yianni for a picnic, as they provide a basket of food and drinks and suitable places – by the lake, on the grass, always with a view to the vineyards in the valley. A great idea, it reminded us a lot of the Bordeaux region, where wineries also offer such a service;

… For the more active lovers of nature tours, the winery offers electric bike tours between the massifs with the vineyards – because the unevenness is large, that’s why they are electric.

Hear Kir Yianni winery …

… Many interesting stories about the founding of the winery, the owners, the wine production, the peculiarities of the local Xinomavro variety;

Xinomavro is a local grape variety that is grown in Naosa from which great wine is made. In the nose, the characteristics are raspberries, strawberries and tomato, on the palate high acids and tannins. Xinomavro wine has aging potential. Not only red wines are made from it, but also rosé, blanc de noir white and sparkling.

… We had lunch outside under the wonderful trills of the birds.

Movie watching time: 2:09 min.

Smell Kir Yianni winery…

… I have already mentioned the characteristics of the aromas of the wine of the Xinomavro variety – strawberries, raspberries and tomatoes, and they went well with the ginger tomato chutney, which the chefs prepare in the restaurant and serve it with cheeses, dried fruits and bread sticks at the tasting.

Taste Kir Yianni winery…

The food at Kir Yianni’s restaurant is wonderful!

The style is more fine dining and the goal is to be able to match the wine. There is a fairly large list of wines by the glass, but you can choose a tasting menu with pairings if you want to trust the chefs.

I highly recommend the dishes:

… Coq au vin with trahana- is a rooster in wine, a French recipe that was very well combined with the Greek pasta trahana.

Trahana is made by fermentation of the dough, so it’s not exactly the Italian type of pasta.

… Slow-roasted beef with velvety cheese sauce and smoked eggplant puree.

… Both desserts we tried – creme brûlée with confit lemon zest and chocolate ganache with xinomavro – were wonderful.

… Our desserts were a gift from the restaurant, although we ordered them ourselves, and with them we also received a dessert wine, which, due to its high alcohol content, is considered vermouth, and also because of the infusion with herbs.

You must buy wine from their shop – it’s at very good prices, and it’s very good. Focus on Diaporos, because it is over 15% and you will not find it in Bulgaria, because of the higher excise tax.

If you’ve planned a trip to Northern Greece, Kir Yianni is a must-stop, but it’s better to plan it specifically and for longer – with a picnic, lunch, electric bike tour or whatever you decide, but not in a hurry and for a while, but with pleasure.

If you are wondering where to stay in the area, I highly recommend a very nice hotel in Naousa, Palea Poli Deluxe Boutique Hotel stately old house in Naoussa, Northern Greece. You can make a reservation in the booking.com box below. I’ll get a modest commission if you do it here and that will incentivize me to write more posts like this.

How to get to Kir Yianni?

Just use the Google map here by clicking on the red pin of its location and then select directions:

A: Γιαννακοχώρι 592 00, Greece

T: +302332051100

Opening hours 11 – 18

How to book your stay?

You can book your stay right here. For your convenience, I have added a booking.com box, which refers directly to their site. I guarantee you’re going to use all your genius discounts and privileges they would offer to you and I will get a modest commission. Just enter the dates of your trip, the place, then hit the Search button and voila.

Booking.com

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