Domaine Skouras, St. George Agiorgitiko, Nemea

A Foundational Figure in Modern Greek Wine

Few have played a more formative role in shaping the modern renaissance of Greek wine than George Skouras. After completing the DNO, the Diplome National d'Oenology at the University of Burgundy in Dijon and working throughout many of France's top wine regions, he founded his winery in 1986. Upon returning home, Skouras applied his education at a moment when much of the country was still emerging from a culture of bulk production. More than a skilled winemaker, Skouras has been a mentor, teacher, and steadying presence for an entire generation.

It often takes a great wine to change how a place is perceived. For Greece, that wine was Skouras’ Megas Oenos. This landmark bottling proved—often in blind tastings against far more famous names—that Greek terroir and native varieties could stand among the world’s elite. But real change does not come from icons alone. It comes from wines made in numbers, wines people can afford to drink, share, and return to. For Greece, that wine was St. George.

Nemea, Elevation, and the Shaping of Agiorgitiko

Drawn entirely from Agiorgitiko grown in the high-altitude vineyards of Nemea, St. George exhibits a cooler, more continental side of the Peloponnese. Vineyards planted around 2,000 feet above sea level mature slowly, developing character while retaining natural acidity. The growing season is longer and temperatures more moderate. The resulting wines emphasize balance rather than weight.

Agiorgitiko is among Greece’s most adaptable red grapes, capable of a wide range of expressions depending on site and technique. Its name comes from Agios Georgios and translates to “Saint George.” Skouras’ training in Burgundy gave him both the technical grounding and the sensibility to craft an instantly compelling form of Agiorgitiko. St. George is vinified with restraint—cold soak, gentle extraction, and aging in neutral French barriques—allowing structure without heft. Where Agiorgitiko can easily be pushed toward excess, Skouras steers it toward elegance and proportion.

The result is a wine defined by ease and integrity. It offers the drinkability that appeals to lovers of Pinot Noir or Gamay, with a depth that will please fans of Syrah. It works naturally at the table across a wide range of cuisines and even rewards modest time in the cellar. If the name of the grape takes a moment to learn, the pleasure it delivers is instantaneous.

A Wine for Drinking

St. George’s beauty derives in large part from how naturally it fits into daily life. Skouras has long said that a country is taken seriously as a wine culture not because it produces one great wine, but because it produces thousands of good ones—wines people can and want to drink. St. George embodies that belief. It delivers pleasure and reliability at a level you can afford to return to again and again.

St. George Agiorgitiko

Sourced from multiple high-elevation parcels in Nemea, planted around 2,000 feet on clay soils, St. George benefits from slow, steady ripening that preserves natural acidity and aromatic clarity. Its typical bright cherry and strawberry aromas are accented with subtle spice and tobacco. Medium-bodied and finely structured, it shows lively acidity and supple tannins, making it as versatile at the table as it is satisfying on its own.