The Season of Pruning at Cinque

Our plans to make Cinque Wine Bars an open window to the world of Greek viniculture and viticulture.

In Greece, February marks a crucial period in the winegrower’s calendar. It’s the time when the vineyards are bursting with viticultural operations, as all around Greece winemakers diligently complete the pruning of vines, tend to the soil and the weeds, preparing for the bountiful season ahead.

At Cinque Wine Bars, we take Greek wines seriously and personally. What’s more, we follow the viticultural cycles closely and keep close ties with the producers that collaborate with us and whose products we feature on our wine list. We hope to be an open window to the world of the vineyard and the life of winegrowers in a day and age where nature and tradition seem to be less accessible to most people.

Our newest initiative is an attempt to make every Cinque Wine Bar and every winelover tune in to this beautiful natural cycle of viniculture and viticulture. As the year has seasons, so does Cinque. And our activities (and festivities!) will be following the rhythms of the vineyard just as we personally have done these 8 years since Cinque began.

A big part of our philosophy is getting more people in touch with local producers and giving their voice a chance to be heard. Our Producer of the Month events are bringing the ambassadors of greek viticulture and viniculture to the heart of Athens. We are inviting all winelovers to attend either in the flesh or by Zoom.This Friday, 16 of February, such an event will take place at the Cinque Wine & Deli Bar of Monastiraki (Voreou 10).

Both graduates of the American Farm School of Thessaloniki, our resident oenologist and sommelier Nikitas Prassas will be joining our Producer of the Month, Panos Katrisiosis for an evening dedicated to answering questions about wine, the intricacies of viticulture, pruning techniques, tasting samples of the latest bottlings and interacting with winelovers from all over the world. A special 1+1 offer will be in place for all participants for this special occasion and Cinque will be sharing a traditional greek recipe for lamb cooked on the vines!

Inspired by the season of pruning, we have also prepared a Cinque Box for winelovers that want a chance to taste the terroir. You can order it at our online shop. It will include a Cinque Limited Edition Bottling of Katrisiosis’ Mouhtaro, a bottle of premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Olympia, the Cinque-curated recipe that will be shared at the event and the necessary vine shoots from that very same vineyard so that you can make it at home!

Graduating from The American Farm School of Thessaloniki in 2014, Nikitas honed his skills through internships and research. Pursuing further education at the University of West Attica, he embarked on his WSET certification journey, while also immersing himself in harvests at renowned wineries like Domaine Skouras and Domaine Hatzimichalis, earning certifications in WSET Levels 1, 2, and 3, as well as Certified Sommelier status (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale). A proud member of the Association of Greek Sommeliers since 2015, he continually seeks to expand his knowledge and expertise.

Panos Katrisiosis graduated from The American Farm School of Thessaloniki in 1985 and has spent a big part of his life in his privately owned vineyards.His village, Vagia, is situated in the province of Thebes, 14 km away from the city of Thebes, at an altitude of 300 meters. It is there that his vinicultural endeavors crystalized as “Terra Thiva” or Thivaiki Gi, the company that he and his wife Sotiria founded based on a farm spanning over 50 hectares.

Thebes, located in Boeotia, central Greece, holds a prominent place in Greek mythology as the birthplace of legends like Cadmus, Oedipus, Antigone, Dionysus, and others. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a magnificent Mycenaean center, highlighting the city’s significance since the Bronze Age.