Haritatos Vineyard is a family winery on the island of Kefalonia. It is located on the same side of the island - only 10 km from their neighbour - Sclavos Winery.

As one of the oldest wineries in Kefalonia, founded by the family in 1863, regenerative viticulture is a way of life for generations of winemakers at the Haritatos Estate, found in the most charming, centuries-old buildings in Lixouri, having survived many earthquakes - including the large earthquake of 2014.

The vineyard is run by three siblings, Ioanna, Konstantinos and Haritos. With the support of their extended family, they create complex wines on the local grapes Muscat of Cephalonia, Vostilidi and Mavrodaphne, harvested from their vineyards, where the warm days and cool nights of the Ionian coax intense aromas from the grapes. 

The wines are cultivated with the lightest human touch, and produced in small quantities with a holistic approach of minimum intervention. Planting, pruning, and harvesting are all done manually, in harmony with the natural cycles that have guided their ancestors for centuries. The drainage and rainwater collection system carved into the estate date back over one hundred years. Rainwater reserves are stored in tanks and used for irrigation in case of heat waves. As a rule, the vines are not watered, so as not to dilute their intensity and character of the grapes. The poor, clay loam soil produces low yields of around 700 kilos per acre, but the vines are never forced for higher yields.

Sheep and goats graze on the weeds, clearing the stone pathways between the vines, which are shared by lively populations of lizards and insects. When bottling the wines on the estate, great care is taken to reduce the environmental impact

Oinofilia met the family and visited the winery during harvest in September 2014. We have been in love with their wines ever since – and so have many of our contacts, some of who have met them over the years when travelling to Kefalonia. The winery and their wines have been with us since 2021.

Photo of Ioanna, Haritos and Konstantinos - the lovely three siblings behind the winery - taken at our last visit, April 2023.