International Xinomavro Day

International Xinomavro Day is the Association of Winemakers “Wines of North Greece” annual celebration of the Xinomavro grape, held on 1 November. The date falls at the close of the northern harvest, and the choice of the first of the month marks the association’s designation of Xinomavro as the leading red variety of the Greek north. On 1 November 2025, a Saturday, wineries opened their cellars for tastings, vineyard visits and table dinners.

Xinomavro — the name means “acid-black” — is the dominant variety of Naoussa, the appellation east of Mount Vermio, and also carries the cellars of Amyndeon, Goumenissa and Rapsani. The grape is structured and slow to soften, often compared to Nebbiolo for its tannin and capacity to age. The wines of Naoussa were sold abroad from the close of the nineteenth century.

The day invites the trade — wine bars, restaurants and the wineries themselves — to mount tastings and events centred on the variety.