Ktima Akrani visit August 2025

Under the sun-drenched skies of the Dodecanese island of Kos, lies an undiscovered gem; the winery of Ktima Akrani. This small but passionately managed winery is making great strides with its wines, winning international acclaim for the quality of the wines they produce. With only 7ha of land under vine (very small in winery terms), getting your hands on these wines is not an easy feat. With 95% of the production sold locally in Kos, getting to try the wines means taking a trip to Kos. Oh well! Never one to be deterred, Helen set off on a discovery tour to taste these wines and report back.

Ktima means estate and to qualify as an estate in Greek wine law, the vineyards must be no more than 15km from the winery. With Ktima Akrani, the winery and the vineyards are next door to each other – no issue with distance here.

When Helen visited in mid-August, harvest was well underway. Whilst most of the northern hemisphere wineries are anxiously checking their grapes in the vineyard, hopeful of some sunny days to allow their grapes to reach their full phenolic ripeness, harvest on Kos is almost completed. The bright sunny days and dry climate means that the Kos harvest starts in the first few days of August and will be completed well before the end of the month. At Wine Travel Experts, we love a winery visit at harvest time. It is when the wineries come to life. It’s action stations all round! Mother Nature runs on her own timetable. When the grapes are ready, they need to be harvested and that means the wineries must be ready to pick, crush and ferment the grapes at a moment’s notice.

At Ktima Akrani, harvest means early starts. Everything here is 100% hand harvested. Hand harvesting is tough physical work (Helen can testify to this, having worked the 2012 harvest in New Zealand). With summer temperatures regularly in the mid-30s in Kos, starting early (before 5am) is necessary to ensure the physical work is done in the cooler hours of the day. Once harvested, the baskets of grapes are taken straight to the refrigeration unit to cool. Cooling the grapes locks in the freshness and ultimately makes for better wines. Having this refrigeration ability helps Ktima Akrani to produce fresh, zesty white wines that have a refreshing backbone of acidity. 

Helen spent an afternoon with Michael, the quietly spoken, dedicated winemaker at Ktima Akrani. Michael is one of the longest serving employees, having started at the winery in 2009, just three years after the winery opened. There was nobody better to show Helen around and explain what makes Ktima Akrani so special. 

Michael explained that under his stewardship, Ktima Akrani had moved to becoming a fully fledged organically certified winery. He was passionate in his belief that putting chemicals into the soil negatively impacted the local eco system. He believed in working with nature and not against it. Grass ran throughout the rows of vines, not having been treated by chemical 

sprays. Ladybirds and butterflies fluttered across the green leaves. Michael accepted that birds would pick at his grapes, saying this was a hint to him to bring in the grapes – if they are ripe enough for the birds….

This approach to working in collaboration with nature was wonderful to hear. Michael commented that the production volumes were down since conversion to becoming organic, but that the quality was up. This was the right direction for the winery to take. We couldn’t agree more.

One wonderful aspect of visiting wineries during harvest, is the ability to see (and taste), freshly crushed grape must. This is not for everyone (the appearance of the grape must can be startling) but here at Wine Travel Experts, it’s a joy to see the very beginning of the new vintage and to get a feel for what these wines could become. Tasting in its raw state.

The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc is brimming with notes of fragrant lemongrass and with a fresh backbone of acidity, it should be a highlight of the range once fully ready. 

When visiting the barrel hall, Helen was struck by how much care and attention had gone into this room. Often in wineries, the barrel room is functional and practical. Here at Ktima Akrani, the room was beautifully decorated and had calming music playing. Michael’s belief that he needed to nurture and care for his wines, at all points in the production was evident here. Michael’s view was that a calming environment helps the wines to develop to their full potential- and why not. It certainly made for a pleasant environment for us to be working in.  

One genuine point of concern during the visit was the discussion around climate change. Michael explained that since 2020, the average temperatures in Kos had been higher than ever. The vines were stressed. The grapes risking sunburn. The sugar levels in the grapes were at all time high levels. Higher sugars in the grapes means higher alcohol levels in the finished wines. Michael said he understood that consumers were looking for lower alcohol levels in their wines, but as a winemaker, he was focused on producing the best quality wines possible. If the natural alcohol levels repeatedly topped 14%abv, he would ensure that the wines were balanced and fresh. 2025 was the first year this decade that the weather had been markedly cooler, with only one week in the summer reaching 40 degrees on Kos. Michael was optimistic about the 2025 vintage.

Climate change, however, remains a very real challenge. One Michael was keen to tackle with his trademark knowledgeable, nature-first approach. He favoured taking a long-term plan with his climate change strategy. Some vines in the vineyards were now approaching their 30^th birthday. Yields start to fall as vines age. Those vines that were simply not up to production, would gradually get replaced. The international grape varieties planted in the vineyard, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Merlot, would be replaced with more local grape varieties, such as Assyrtiko. The local grapes were hardier and more able to withstand the harsh realities of the Kos climate. A very sensible approach to take, but it would leave a challenge for the marketeers – promoting and selling local Greek grape varieties requires more creative approaches than selling Merlot. If there is one thing we know about Ktima Akrani, is that they relish in a challenge. We have no doubt at all that they will succeed in this strategy.

This stunning balcony was the setting for the wine tasting. With an unspoilt view over the vineyards, it was a beautiful, relaxing way to spend a tasting. Michael was able to talk through the entire range of wines at Ktima Akrani. Production volumes of each wine are small – with only 7ha of vines, Michael and his team have done well to have such a variety of wines to their name. By far the largest in terms of volume was the Assyrtiko Athini 2024. Also Helen’s favourite wine of the tasting.

The highlights of the wine tasting are:

Assyrtiko Athini 2024

A fragrant wine with peach and floral notes on the nose – not dissimilar in aroma to an albarino. Athini is a grape that originates from Crete and holds its own in the intense heat of the Kos summer.

Zesty and fresh with mouthwatering citrus character on the palate, this is a delicious wine to enjoy in the sunshine.

At 10 euros a bottle, this is an absolute steal.

Single Block Rose 2024

It’s not often a wine leaves us lost for words. This one managed it! This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, which is incredibly unusual for a rose wine. EU law restricts the blending of red and white wine to make a rose. There are limited exceptions (most notably in Champagne) but to see a rose like this is so unusual. Michael explained that whilst you cannot blend finished wines together, if they are grown together in the vineyard, harvested and crushed together, this way of making a rose is permitted. Wow! That’s a first for Wine Travel Experts. The Cabernet Sauvignon provides the colour for the rose – rose wines are coloured through skin contact, rather than the crushed juice of the grape providing colour. To achieve a subtle Provence-esq hue, the skins are in contact for just two hours.

The result of this intriguing wine making process was a well-balanced wine with fragrant red cherry and raspberry notes and a subtle hint of fresh mint. We couldn’t imagine a better wine to enjoy with some freshly grilled langoustines. Yum!

Single Block Syrah 2022

The star red of the tasting was the Syrah. Syrah originates from the southern Rhone, a region in France that is not unaccustomed to long hot summers. Syrah is better equipped than many varietals to stand-up to the intensity of the Kos sunshine. Michael’s winemaking skills have ensured this big wine is in balance. 15 months in French oak barrels have softened the tannins. The punchy alcohol is kept in check with bright black cherry and dark chocolate notes. A hint of mint and a smattering of white pepper add depth to this big bold wine. This is a wine to be enjoyed with a hearty meal in the winter. One to savour in a few months’ time.

This was Wine Travel Expert’s first visit to a winery in Kos and we were not disappointed.

We would happily recommend taking a trip to Ktima Akrani if you are holidaying in Kos. If you would like to arrange a visit to the winery, please let us know. We can happily set this up for you.