About the winery

Laurens M. Hartman – Karanika and Annette van Kampen, both founders of the Domaine Karanikas, have always lived in the Netherlands and worked for 15 years in the area of publishing. Then one day they decided to pursue their dream of creating amazing wines. While different options were considered at first for their future winery, such as Germany or Austria, since Laurens is half Greek from the side of his mother, his Greek roots and the rising possibilities of Xinomavro brought them to Amyndeo, at the north west of Greece, one of the major PDO regions for its production. At Domaine Karanikas all work, both in the winery and the organic- biodynamic vineyard, is based on Maria Thun’s calendar. Their philosophy is that “real quality is achieved only when there is complete balance in all aspects of the growing and winemaking process”. To achieve this they have very specific rules throughout the viticulture and vinification process. Minimal handling of grapes and wines without chemical additions, gravity instead of pumping to transport must and wines, adding only sulfites and montmorillonite clay to the wine and the use of ‘homeopathic’ sprays in the vineyard instead of fertilisers and pesticides. Laurens and Annette are real perfectionists and it is no surprise that they produce exceptional wines that “breathe terroir”. They are sparkling and dry wines made of very old Xinomavro vines, Assyrtiko, Cabernet Sauvignon and Limniona.