From 1860s Tenedos to today
One Winery, many stories
1860
Efstratios
Malamatinas
In the vineyard of Tenedos in the 19th century, Efstratios Malamatinas decides to deal with the vinification of the “Tsaousia” variety, grapes known for their quality and aromas, which he produces in his family vineyards.
18
60
1895
18
95
The first winery
Following the family tradition, Eustratios’ son Konstantinos, a gifted merchant, intensifies the production and establishes the family’s first winery in Alexandroupolis, under the name “Tenedos”, where he inaugurates, adopting his father’s secret of the “intoxicating authentic recipe”, the production of the wine “retsina”. With his ship “Mersini”, he unloads valuable cargo at the mayor ports of Northern Greece.
1922
"The one who brought us Retsina"
With the “Treaty of Lausanne” the family loses its land in Tenedos. Konstantinos Malamatinas now seeks locally produced grapes and produces the ‘wine of Greece’, i.e. Retsinato wine, which makes him known in the local community as “the one who brought us Retsina”.
19
22
1934
19
34
The Winery in Avlida
Konstantinos travels to all the vineyards of Greece. In Homeric Avlida, he establishes a new winemaking unit and exploits the local production of grapes of the “Savvatiano” variety. Originally a nostalgist, he hangs a large sign: Winery “The Tenedos”.
1957
Retsina is bottled for the first time
Evangelos, a third generation Malamatina descendant and grandson of Efstratios Malamatina, has set out to improve and stabilize retsina’s quality and aroma. Thus, he bottles Malamatina retsina for the first time, in the “bubble” bottle, with the aim of allowing it to travel intact to the most distant taverns.
19
57
1960
19
60
The legendary trademark is born
In the 1960s, the legendary sign with the little man and the key is born. The urban legend, which may not be far from reality, is that the sign, which is still in use today, was the idea of the unforgettable actor Nikos Stavridis, a friend of Evangelos Malamatina, who claimed that “Malamatina is the key to my stomach!” Besides, one of the most famous Malamatina advertising campaigns over the decades features Nikos Stavridis himself as the protagonist.
1980 - 2007
Tradition meets technology
Combining the love and know-how of a century with insightful strategy and passion for evolution, Malamatina expands its wineries in Faros and Ritsona Avlida and creates one of the most advanced wineries in Europe in Asopia, Boeotia. It modernises and increases the capacity of the bottling plant in Kalochori, Thessaloniki. The 4th generation of the family is represented by Konstantinos Malamatina, who combines a century of love and know-how with a visionary strategy and passion for development.
19
80
-
20
07
2023
20
23
The story continues
Every day about 50,000 bottles of Malamatina are consumed in Greece and 37 foreign countries, putting 128 years of tradition on our table. Today, Malamatina Winery, with its focus on the future, continues to expand and grow this tradition, creating new lines of wines for every unique moment, aiming to fill your glass with memories and aromas, to unite generations, emotions, and tastes.