Xinomavro’s Moment: Why Naoussa Belongs on Australian Wine Lists

Tucked into the foothills of Mount Vermio in Macedonia, northern Greece, Naoussa sits roughly an hour’s drive west of Thessaloniki. Vineyards climb from around 100 metres up to 350 metres above sea level across roughly 500 hectares. The continental climate, hot summers and cool winters, despite the proximity to the coast, combined with limestone and sandy soils, gives the wines their distinctive tension and minerality.

The grape at the centre of the Naoussa PDO is Xinomavro. Often described as Greece’s answer to Nebbiolo, it produces wines with bright acidity, firm tannins, and a capacity to age that few reds in this price bracket can match. The name itself translates roughly as “sour black,” a nod to the grape’s naturally high acidity and dark fruit character. In the glass, well-made examples show notes of dried red fruit, tomato leaf, olive, earth and spice, with a savoury, almost umami edge that develops beautifully with time in bottle.