A pleasant two hour drive from Athens, in the heartland of the Peloponnese, sits a small chapel. Situated on the highest point of Tselepos’ Mantinia vineyard, it pays homage to Saint Tryphon, the patron saint of winemakers. With depictions of biblical references to wine adorning the chapel’s interior, one is reminded of Greece’s devout christianity and that winemaking, as with all agricultural endeavors, is at the mercy of elements beyond our control. But even more so, the chapel is a reflection of Giannis Tselepos’ holistic approach to winemaking. Having studied oenolgy at the University of Dijon in Burgundy, he returned to…
Mantinia
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Continue ReadingNestled in the Peloponnesian mountainside village of Vastas one will find the small church of Saint Theodora. The road to get there is narrow and windy, testing nerves at every turn. As the GPS indicator inched closer to our destination, anticipation grew. Built in the twelfth century, this church is no ordinary site. With seventeen trees growing atop its roof without any visible root system, the church is considered a “living miracle”. As we made our final turn, I wondered. From parted seas to walking on water, many are the miraculous stories that shaped my upbringing. But they remain stories, accounts from…