About
Great Greek Wines: The Next Chapter
If someone asked me to describe Great Greek Wines—the platform promoting Greek wine internationally and showcasing its excellence—in three words, they would be: evolution, evolution, evolution. This was a decision that Gregory Michailos and I made from the very first day we agreed to create something we consider significant and impactful for Greek wine. Now, as we reach the next edition, we can proudly say we have built a truly dynamic project, full of rhythm and energy—qualities that reflect Greek wine and its entry onto the modern global stage. The energy we receive from Greek producers and their wines, which are at the heart of this project, is something we passionately want to share with the world. We believe this is our contribution, and also our “duty,” to Greek wine.
Looking back, we have reached almost 20 international destinations. We participated in top-tier wine events and, where none existed, created our own. At the centre of it all were our producers and their needs, and we successfully attracted the elite of each market—key players in every region we targeted. From the prestigious Masters of Wine Symposium in Germany to the Trade Walk Around Tasting in London (2024 & 2026) and Panorama in Paris, we returned home with rave reviews of Greek wine. With renewed enthusiasm, we continued working with even greater belief in our original goal: to refine the idea further and convey our message more effectively. None of this would have been possible without the impressive response from Greek producers themselves, who are the heart of Great Greek Wines. They embraced even the most “crazy” or seemingly unattainable ideas we proposed at first glance.
The Next Edition – Athens, February 11-14, 2027
Now, we stand on the threshold of the next edition, which will take place in Athens at the beginning of 2027. We will uphold the same values with even more enthusiasm. As always, The List’s award-winning wines will be based solely on quality and the number of entries, giving more wines and producers a chance to be part of Great Greek Wines.
We will award only 10% of entries, maintaining the strict standards we have upheld from the beginning. We will also feature the Great Value Wines List, showing the best wines with a retail price under 15 euros.
Our journey reflects the dynamism of Greek wine. Just as Greek wine evolves and excels, so do we continue to innovate and promote the Greek wine tradition worldwide.
What is GGW?
With the vision of placing the true value of Greek wine at the core of my thoughts and actions, GGW is a structured, comprehensive platform for communicating about Greek wine that goes far beyond the narrow framework of a conventional competition. So it is easier to start by describing what it is not.
It is not just another wine competition where everyone gets an award and, most of the time, the awards hold little value. We see this not only in wine but everywhere. Everyone is awarded, yet in the end, very few are truly satisfied. The selection process is not a simple competition but a creative one aimed at showing excellence. Some of the world’s most important wine judges evaluate the wines in small, homogeneous panels, and only 10% make the list. This ensures the high quality and prestige of the wines that are recognised.
We were determined to move away from this idea and contribute to the greatness of Greek wine – by now, we all know that Greek wines are exceptional. To achieve this, we adopted a distinct philosophy: highlighting the Great Greek Wines with the highest possible reliability. This involved creating a comprehensive platform that serves as a foundation for creative dialogue and the dynamic promotion of Greek wine as a whole, through winning wines and supporting initiatives.
It is, therefore, a platform for showcasing the exceptionally high quality of Greek wine (what we call greatness), with each edition featuring equally outstanding wines selected through a rigorous process by a dream team of judges. These wines serve as our starting point for promoting the image of Greek wine.
Such a strong strategic goal could not stand without strong values. At the core of the GGW DNA are unwavering values and principles, including Transparency, Integrity, Progress and Creativity.
The Central Pillars of Great Greek Wines
The central pillars of Great Greek Wines (GGW) may be easy to communicate, but implementing them demands dedication, innovation, and determination. We embrace challenges, which is why we choose to face them head-on.
Together with Grigoris Michailos (Founding Partner & Development Manager), we have established the following key pillars:
Equal Starting Point for All Wines: All wines start from the same base, so we exclusively source samples from the commercial market. This ensures objectivity and transparency from the outset. The judges evaluate what any of you or we would buy from the market. Transparency is one of the competition’s core, non-negotiable values.
Evaluation by Internationally Recognised Panels: Wines are evaluated by homogeneous panels comprising leading international judges. These experts, in addition to their undisputed prestige, possess practical knowledge and a deep love of the Greek vineyard.
Impartial Evaluation Process: We conduct the evaluation with complete transparency and accuracy. We use specialised software that automatically records and registers the judges’ notes and scores, ensuring absolute impartiality. At the same time, we do not maintain commercial relationships with wineries, reinforcing the process’s integrity.
The Essence of GGW Begins After the Awards: GGW’s real work begins the day after the list and winners are announced. Through the GGW | More initiatives, we provide ongoing support and visibility for the award-winning wines. The mutuality within the GGW institution is what makes it unique.
With these foundations, GGW continues to pursue its mission: to promote and recognise Greek wine as a strong global competitor.
Great Greek Wines (GGW) not only recognises top Greek wines but also promotes and communicates them actively worldwide. In past editions, we launched initiatives that highlighted Greek wine’s excellence globally. Notably, we did the following:
We published a digital book with the award-winning wines, available to everyone: eBook 2023 – Great Greek Wines.
We organised events across various countries, including the UK, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Serbia, bringing Greek wine closer to international audiences.
We collaborated with restaurants in Greece and abroad that proudly feature GGW on their wine lists.
We showcased the value of Greek wine at the welcome reception for the Masters of Wine Symposium in Germany, which drew over 600 top executives from the global wine industry.
We organised Producers’ tastings in the UK and Poland, alongside GGW Dinners at Michelin restaurants, including Alleno *** and Sol’ring Hof **.
All of the above received mentions in both international and domestic media.
And we continue…
Key Points for 2027:
Rigorous Selection: Only up to 10% of entries will be awarded, maintaining intense competition and the high quality of the wines we highlight.
Alphabetical Announcement of Winners: Winners are announced alphabetically, without rankings, in line with our motto: “Greatness is not a Number.” Each wine on the list is a unique, living model of Greek wine excellence.
Value for Money List: A distinct category, GREAT VALUE WINES – THE LIST, is being introduced for wines priced up to a maximum of €15 on the shelf, highlighting the potential of Greek wines that offer exceptional quality at accessible prices. Each year, the Value for Money award is adjusted according to commercial data.
GGW remains a centre for promoting Greek wine internationally, connecting the world with the richness and diversity of Greek vineyards.
Yiannis Karakasis MW
Founder of Great Greek Wines
