672 AD

Welcome to the Monastic Winery of Imperator

The wines bear the imperial title Imperator after the Emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos, founder of the Holy Monastery of Votsas.

The highest monastic vineyards in Greece

The only vineyards in Greece, and among the very few in the world, within a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape

Native varieties found nowhere else in the world

For the monks, the wine is a diakonima, an act of service, and so they offer it with respect and consistency.

Six labels. Each name carries a story.

Imperator Lacrima

Lacrima means tear in the Vlach dialect, the name locals once gave to a wine of very fine quality. Gewürztraminer, from the vineyards of the two monasteries.

Valia Calda

The "Warm Valley" of the Pindus in a bottle.

Fagu Scriptu

The "Written Beech" of the Pindus trails.

Rubini

The only 100% Vlachiko rosé bottling in the world, from the traditional local variety of Epirus.

Vlachavona

A variety native to Metsovo, unique in the world, brought back through monovarietal vinification.

See all six labels

Tasting

The tasting room and the aging cellar are at the Holy Monastery of Agios Nikolaos, in Metsovo. In the cellar, the reds mature in French oak barrels. Two tasting packages, with local cheeses and cured meats.

Ask us for availability

Vlachavona, 150 bottles a year

A variety that survived in household courtyards and abandoned vineyards around Metsovo. Today it is vinified monovarietally, at around 150 bottles a year.

The story of the variety

Recognised internationally

Gold and silver medals at the Berliner Wine Trophy, London Wine Competition and Decanter World Wine Awards. And Imperator Lacrima among the 20 best wines in the world, the only Greek wine of the year (Asia Import News, 2023).

Most recently: gold, scoring 90/100, for Valia Calda at the London Wine Competition 2026.

See all distinctions, by label