TSILILIS K. S.A. is a Winery-Distillery founded in 1989 and situated at Meteora, Trikala in Thessaly (Central Greece), possessing a 25 hectares organically cultivated vineyard of around Meteora Rocks and the prehistoric Cave of Theopetra, in the Meteora PGI appellation, a region that is closely bound to vine, wine and grape spirits for a long time. Among our products there are still and sparkling wines as well as grape distillates.

At the foot of Meteora Rocks and around the prehistoric Cave of Theopetra, signs of human existence and evolution are found far back into Palaeolithic era.

Here, at the Cave of Theopetra, there were found, among other things, grape seeds which provoke change in the history of wine and prove the ancient coexistence of this place with the vine and the wine.

During the Byzantine era, the sacred vine cultivation and evolution of winemaking passed into the hands of the monks of the sacred Rocks who practiced them with the same reverence as worshipping God.

The mystery of Meteora passes to the wine and distillates through a particular terroir, making the region an eternal cradle of production of wines and grape distillates.

Here, at Raxa Trikala, in 1989 the Tsililis distillery- winery was founded.

The Tsililis family was the first to bottle tsipouro Thessaly, with the homonymous geographical indication, recognized by the European Union. Today the family continues to be a pioneer in the effort for the highlighting the international recognition of tsipouro, of this original Greek alcoholic drink.

The continuous effort to praise the dynamics of grapes has resulted in the creation of a range of single varietal grape distillates and an aged in oak barriques tsipouro.

Theopetra Estate
In 1996, the Tsililis family has created the THEOPETRA ESTATE, an icon winery with organically grown vineyards, in order to highlight the particularities of the area and to revive rare Greek grape varieties.

The purpose was to revive the vineyard of Meteora that had lost its glory and eminence after phylloxera in the early 20th century.

Today, the vineyard of Theopetra Estate covers 25 hectares situated in the east of Meteora, on hilly slopes around the prehistoric cave of Theopetra. The rationale behind the creation of this vineyard is the highlighting of the particularities of the region, the revival of rare Greek grape varieties and the production of wines that respect the natural environment and the consumer.

Terroir
The combination of a particular composition of the soil, which allows low yields, and continental climate creates wines with intense flavors, balanced acidity and high concentration.

Soil
The vineyards of the estate span hillside (10% -25% inclination) with an east/west row orientation at an altitude of 230-350m. The soil composition varies due to the rare formation of Meteora Rocks.

The main characteristic is the presence of slate which makes the plots “shallow” and it provides excellent drainage. In areas where there is a high presence of limestone, composed of marine fossils, white varieties are cultivated. The resulting wine is characterized by high acidity and minerality.

In vineyards with sandy-clay composition, red grape varieties are grown that produce wines with complex aromas, rich ripe tannins and balanced acidity.

Mesoclimate
The mesoclimate of the region is continental, with rainy cold winters and sunny, hot and dry summers. The high diurnal temperature range during spring and summer allows intense and complex flavors to develop and slow maturation retaining high levels of acidity.

Frequent northerly winds from the Pindos Mountain cool the vines and prevent the development of diseases.

The moderating influence of Pineios River prevents hail and ice all year long.

Human factor
The above characteristics consist ideal conditions for organic vine cultivation. All vineyards of Theopetra Estate are grown using organic practices, certified

by DIO (Organization of Control & Certification for Products of Organic Cultivation).

The yields of vines are very low:  4000-7000kg of grapes/ha for white varieties and 4000-6000kg of grapes/ha for red varieties in single cordon pruning system and practicing strict green harvest. The resulting wines are of high concentration, intense aromas and refreshing acidity.