In Achinos, Central Greece, an estate with French finesse and a distinctly Greek soul invites you to stay among the vines, discover exceptional wines and enjoy the warmth of its hospitality in a setting reminiscent of a French château.

I wasn’t expecting to find a landscape like this when I arrived in Achinos, in Greece’s Fthiotida region.

I knew the wines of La Tour Melas and had seen photographs of the estate, but nothing had quite prepared me for the view that unfolded as we drove up the hillside: vineyards, stone buildings, an imposing tower and, in the distance, the sea.

You could almost be in Tuscany or the Bordeaux countryside, were it not for the light and that stretch of blue that makes the scene unmistakably Greek.

Better still, it’s all about three hours from both Athens and Thessaloniki, with easy access from the national highway. Close enough for a weekend away, yet far enough to feel as though you’ve stepped into a little bubble, away from everyday life.

A family estate and a wager

Before the vines and the winery, there was an olive grove. The Melas family’s connection to the land goes back to 1962, when Kyros Melas’s grandfather bought the property in Achinos. Decades later, Kyros would imagine a vineyard in its place.

As the story behind La Tour Melas goes, the idea took shape over dinner in Zurich in the late 1990s. Kyros Melas and his friends were drinking a Château La Fleur-Pétrus when the conversation turned to a question that became a personal challenge: could Greece produce a wine to rival a great Bordeaux?

He decided to look for the answer on his family’s land. In 2001, Cabernet Franc and Merlot vines from France were planted in Achinos. Other varieties followed, among them Grenache and Syrah. The winery was established in 2006.

Today, the French influence is evident in both the wines and the estate’s aesthetic. What makes the story so interesting, though, is the way that influence meets a place with a character of its own, where the sea and the hillside help shape the vineyard.

A sea breeze cools the vines, while the slope and the composition of the soil contribute to the microclimate. The vineyard is carefully tended, with low yields, and the estate follows the principles of organic and biodynamic farming.

As for the wager made over dinner? The wines of La Tour Melas have offered a rather convincing answer.

Life around the tower

The stone tower draws your eye from the moment you arrive. Around it are the winery, the cellar, the guest lodges and the welcoming spaces where life on the estate unfolds.

A raised stone courtyard, shaded by a pergola covered in climbing plants, offers a first glimpse of what awaits inside. Stone walls, wooden furniture, fabrics and carefully chosen objects come together in a European country style full of character.

My favourite spot was the living room. With its fireplace, comfortable sofas upholstered in custom-made fabrics and generous dining area, it feels like the sort of country house you’d be delighted to be invited to for the weekend.

The long refectory table is the natural gathering place. Everyone comes together here, like one big family, from breakfast through to dinner. Afterwards, the sofas by the fire are waiting for another glass of wine, a board game or a conversation that wanders happily from one subject to the next.

During our three days there, we found time for everything: wine stories and tastings, music, long meals and moments spent simply admiring the view. That was one of the loveliest things about the hospitality: for a little while, the estate felt like home.

Waking up in the vineyard

There’s something special about spending the night at a winery. You watch the light change the colours of the vines from sunrise to sunset, return to your room after a tasting and wake up the next morning with the whole estate still outside your door.

The lodges at La Tour Melas share the estate’s aesthetic, though each has a character of its own. They’re spacious, with stone walls, wooden furniture and a rustic elegance that brings to mind a French country house.

Walk into your room, put your suitcase down and you’ll probably find yourself looking around before you do anything else: a four-poster bed, a freestanding bathtub that seems to belong to another era, little details to notice one by one. The lodges are named after grape varieties, and in Cabernet, a piece of natural rock has been incorporated into the room, right beside the bathtub.

The two lodges in the tower have the advantage of the views, while those around the courtyard stand out for their décor. Near the entrance are the newer lodges, also with views; one even has a small pool.

Personally, I loved one smaller detail too: the Byredo bath products and amenities. Because yes, we do notice these things.

Six wines, six stories

For those of us who love wine, the tasting is always a highlight. After walking around the estate, you begin to connect what’s in your glass with the place it comes from.

The red La Tour Melas, made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot, is the wine most closely connected to Kyros Melas’s original idea. Structured and elegant, it brings the grape varieties of Bordeaux to the vineyard of Achinos.

Cyrus One brings two regions together: Agiorgitiko from Nemea meets Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Achinos, in a blend that captures two different terroirs in the same glass. I’ll admit it: this is my personal favourite of the collection.

With Palies Rizes, the story moves to Nemea and its century-old, ungrafted Agiorgitiko vines. Here, the estate turns its attention to a Greek variety with a long history and to the potential of its old vines.

Idylle d’Achinos, meanwhile, has a recognisable identity of its own. A pale rosé made from Grenache, Syrah and Agiorgitiko, with aromas of red fruit and flowers, it’s a wine that helped change the way rosé is perceived in Greece. It has become associated with Greek summers, though personally I’d never wait until July to open a bottle.

The estate also produces Chairman’s Reserve, a limited-production red made from selected vineyard parcels and two different vintages.

Completing the collection is Silphium, a distinctive rosé with a more food-friendly character. Fokiano meets Grenache, Monemvasia and Aspro Potamisi in a wine with aromas of citrus, quince and honey, a rich texture and delicate tannins.

At the estate’s table

Wine becomes even more interesting when it finds the right companion on the plate. At La Tour Melas, chef George Saxonis prepares dishes to complement the estate’s wines, offering yet another reason to take a seat at the long table.

He is also a sommelier and leads the tours and tastings for guests who want to learn more about the wines and how they’re made.

In the morning, the table fills with freshly squeezed juices, warm savoury pies and croissants, freshly baked bread, yoghurt with honey, cakes and preserves. It’s a generous breakfast and a pretty wonderful way to start the day.

Leaving Achinos, I took with me the image of the vines with the sea in the distance. But I also kept thinking about the story of a family estate given a new life through a bold vision for Greek wine. Today, La Tour Melas offers the chance to discover that story for yourself, whether over a tasting or during an entire weekend on the estate.

Info: La Tour Melas, Achinos, Fthiotida, Greece. For lodge and wine-tasting reservations, call +30 699 705 0352. More information at latourmelas.com.