Rouvalis Wines‘ owner Theodora Rouvali is interviewed by Chef Konstantinos Koveos and together with Mr. Ruiz enjoy Asprolithi and Tsigello.
H.A: Wine has oftentimes connected with happy and successful moments in peoples’ lives. Do you feel that you have contributed to it while they taste your wines?
T.R: Surely! Wine is a cultural product connected directly to its production place so it takes you all over the place and moves you! Drinking one of our wines someone can wander to vineyard landscapes and Aigialeia’s white linen, sense its citrus aromas on the glass, taste its chilled flavors spared by north winds and altitude, feel the minerality of the complex geology slopes above Corinthian Gulf and discern the quality characteristics of the mountain heroic viticulture we serve all along.
Aigialeia’s white linen: The small whitewashed cottages that punctuate the winemaking landscape
H.A: How easy or hard is for a young and dynamic woman like you to change the future of greek winery?
T.R: It is so hard for everyone individually. The future of Greek winery cannot change but only with collective efforts and strategic planning towards the right direction. The previous generation did so many, provided beingness and impulse so now we can do the next step by establishing quality goals(Greece cannot compare to the rest wine countries in quantity).
I believe that the big next step is towards the direction of tourism. Both tourism’s stakeholders and we, need to make our way in order to showcase an integrated brand new tourist product with front-runners quality gastronomy and Greek land’s local quality products. Greek wine on its part has taken steps, we anticipate a general coordination so as Greek Tourism can take the next step.
H.A: What digs your heels in professionally?
T.R: I set targets relentessly. Always by following one through, had I already seeked for another, next experience. The result in all of these years, in my life, in my studies and my professional experience abroad, was more or less anticipated because I have learned to work hard. In Greece however, I sense that this is not enough, so I dig my heels in everything.
H.A: What wine οf your vineyards do you stand out and why?
T.R: Asprolithi(mountainous Roditis) and Tsigello(dry Mavrodaphne). These are two indigenous varieties on which we constantly delve deeply. These are two wines, which at the very moment won over the international audience and are very representative examples of mountainous Aigialeia’s terroir and native Greek varieties’ dynamics.
H.A: In a blind tasting of Greek and foreign etiquettes, what would arouse your interest?
T.R: Everytime, my interest is being aroused by the personality’s expression on each wine and to what extent manages to «talk» to us about the winegrower, the winemaker, the variety and area’s microclimate. I think in such a tasting we would come to a conclusion that quality greek wines can stand side by side and equally to foreign etiquettes. The diversity of Greece’s microclimates and the uniqueness of some remarkable Greek varieties enable Greek wine to win a special position in international vinous map.
H.A: Of which of your current successes- awards as a winery do you feel proud ?
T.R: I feel proud of Asprolithi which continuously evolves and after 30 years in the market goes on tireless winning steadily constant recognition and new distinctions on a global level. And ofcource of Tsigello. I still recall the first time that Antonio- as a visitor then- tried all winery’s tanks. In between 30 reservoirs and 15 varieties, he stood out the reservoir of dry Mavrodaphne and quoted “this is something unique”.
After 6 years we came back together, permanently, in Aigialeia and our first wish was to work on dry Mavrodaphne. We desired a modern version of it, a red wine of a «new wave» making a difference from a cask and highlight its amazingly primal variety’s aroma. So, we decided to vinify it on maturing clay amphorae, which in Βurgundy made us quite the impression with Pinot Noir. Our first test in 2017 had already been assessed with 92points in Decanter. It was an affirmation towards the direction we chose; now every year we work on it with great dedication. For me the important thing is Tsigello exhilarating at the same time both the general public and the experts in the field so I consider this being the key of a wine’s success.
English (UK) 
Ελληνικά