Originally posted on karakasis.mw
Recent moves by Estates Costa Lazaridi, Lyrarakis Winery, and Alpha Estate point to a more serious future for Greek wine, shaped by soil health, measurable practice, and international scientific exchange.
By Yiannis Karakasis MW
Some developments matter because they signal where Greek wine is truly heading. Recent moves by Estates Costa Lazaridi, Lyrarakis Winery, and Alpha Estate point to a more serious future shaped by regenerative viticulture, measurable vineyard practice, and stronger links with the international scientific community.
Estates Costa Lazaridi recently announced that they earned Regenerative Viticulture Certification for their vineyards in Drama and Kapandriti, Attica, making them the first winery in Greece to attain this internationally recognised certification from the AGW, as recommended by the Regenerative Viticulture Organisation. Simultaneously, on January 13, 2026, Lyrarakis Winery also received certification from the Greek certifying body DIO. (Organic Regenerative Viticulture Certified).
This development is particularly important, as regenerative viticulture involves more than just careful vineyard management; it adopts a holistic approach to improve soil life, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
In 2022, I wrote about regenerative viticulture: “Among its core principles, we see the use of soil cover (cover crops), the avoidance of soil tillage so that its structure is not disturbed, and other practices which, to some, may sound like episodes of Star Trek, but that is the direction things are heading. This is also where the major difference from organic farming lies. In addition, the use of any herbicide is prohibited, as it disrupts soil structure. What is particularly important is that regenerative agriculture, through soil cover, helps capture CO₂ more effectively, with less oxygen exchange, brings soils back to life, and prevents erosion. The more life there is in the soil, the greater its capacity to draw CO₂ from the atmosphere and contribute to slowing the progressive rise in global temperatures.”
The significance of this development lies not only in the certification itself, but mainly in what it means in practice. What changes were implemented in the vineyard, which steps proved to be the most demanding, and how the success of such an approach is ultimately evaluated.
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