The Knack Project
The Knack Project
The first time I tried Christos' wines were last year in "Vakhes", and judging from how the attendees talked about it, I must say that it was the highlight of the event, mainly the Chardonnay justified. When I learned the story behind "The Knack Project" and how Christos was involved with vinification which was not his primary occupation, excitement and admiration overwhelmed me. Excitement for discovering and tasting such unique wines and admiration about how these wines were created. After all, which wine lover has not thought about how it would be to produce his wine? But practically speaking, a few decide to take this big step. One of them is Christos Koulouriotis, "The Knack Project" founder.
Without any professional relationship with viticulture or vinification but with a deep love for the wine, he decided after his graduation with DipWSET (Diploma in Wine & Spirits Level 4) to point out the terroir of Megara through the varieties of Mouctaro and Chardonnay, which he has probably by luck instead from personal choice.
'I started backwards; I did not have the vines to make wine. So first, I learned to taste and then I decided to make my wine,' Christos tells us.
'I have an inquiring mind with all the risks and responsibilities that come with it. For example, in this period, along with software support and services, my main occupation, I am studying digital marketing lessons and creating my winery. It is important for me and the quality that I am trying to control all the vinification aspects. For this reason, I decided to invest in a small-scale winery which will be visitable.
Through a route with pine tree forests, limestone rocks and steep slopes, more suitable for mountain biking despite having a car, we reached the vineyard with Mouchtaro at 630 meters altitude. 'It is my favourite vineyard. The vines are 40 years old, and when I took over, they were in bad condition. I try to help them, but as you can see, everything should be done by hand. Here, we have an altitude combination with limestone soil and a lot of influence from the sea since it surrounds the area. Sometimes, the strong winds are a problem because they break the vines, but this is the vineyard that will give me the grapes I want. Mouctaro is a noble variety, and I believe it can provide elegant wines.
Collection of resin from the pines of the area.
'My family, until 1974, owned 25 acres of vineyards, but phylloxera destroyed them. My father did not replace them, but my mother's sisters did, and now I have taken them over. In Megara, there was a big factory that produced alcohol. My father was responsible for the fermentation, and gradually I learned everything about this procedure.
'Every family in Megara had a privately-owned olive grove and a vineyard. They were so important that all the daughters should have one as a dowry. The area produces vast quantities of wine, but most of them are sold as bulk wines or are of lousy quality. Nevertheless, the region is fantastic, and my purpose is to put Megara on the wine map again.
'I do my best so that people embrace my work and my wines, but it is hard to be a small producer. In 2018 I did not make wine since the fire passed through the vineyards, and this year because of the situation with the coronavirus, I am not sure if I will be bottling. And we are talking about a production of about 5.000 bottles. So as you can understand, the sale price is not for making money but to be viable.
'The wine is made in the vineyard; for me, the variety is the vehicle and not the purpose of making wine. I am trying to create a wine that will be what it is without adding something inside. I do not want to take a low-quality grape and add corrective elements. In 2017 I did not add sulfites at all, and it is not my primary goal to produce the exact wine yearly. I want it to be different, representing the vintage, and I think this is where the magic is.
'I experiment a lot, especially with the Savatiano variety. Here, it is well adapted to this area and gives a different wine style from East Attica. The altitude helps them mature properly and keep their natural acidity at a good level. Now they are ready, an experimental orange wine that has been staying in skin contact for six months, and it is truly a distinct wine and one Retsina. Both are from an old vineyard with the varieties Savatiano and Roditis.
Even the labels give you the impression of an artisan producer and can convey the story behind it. 'These sketches are from my grandfather. I discovered them in an old notebook. It is unique and prototype, I liked it, and I decided to put it on the label.
We tasted:
Savatiano orange 2019 (experimental)
Christos Koulouriotis