He gave his local grape varieties Soufli, the Karnahala and the Keratsouda, wine substance, enclosing in a bottle the famous centuries-old viticultural tradition of the place. The "Bella Brothers" winery-distillery-distillery«, based in Alania Soufli, in the prefecture of Evros, has invested in these varieties, creating unique single-varietal wines, in an effort that took three decades to become commercially successful. In fact, it is now preparing to utilize another local, dyeing variety, Boyalamas, which will become the basis for its next wine. The company now has 27 years of history and continues with passion the family tradition in wine and tsipouro, which dates back to 1870.
In an area of 700 acres are located the 300 acres of its privately owned vineyard, as well as the company's facilities, which, in addition to local varieties, also cultivates the French Cinsault, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the Greek Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Roditis and Moschato. "Bella Bros" currently has 17 wine labels and 3 tsipouro, including the famous tsipouro "Bellas", the lighter "Alani", but also its aged one. Its production reaches 150 tons of wine and 200 tons of tsipouro. Its products are found in Evros, Rhodope, Thessaloniki, Athens, southern Greece and the islands, while in the past it made some exports to Germany and China.
From grandfather's baskets to a modern business
Brothers Grigoris and Thanasis Bellas had their first… viticultural experiences at a very young age, when their grandfather would put them in baskets on both sides of his donkey to hold… balantza and they would all go together to the vineyard, which was their playground. Grigoris Bellas remembers the pressing of grapes, the washing of barrels, the pomace that the family made, which is why engaging in viticulture, wine and tsipouro was a rather prescribed path for him and his brother. ’The family had been involved in viticulture, winemaking and distillation since 1870, with our great-grandfathers passing the baton to our grandfather who expanded the vineyards. My father followed his example and then we did too,’ says Grigoris Bellas. The two brothers, with viticulture in their DNA, began to engage in winemaking and distillation in the small facilities the family owned, and in 1994 they decided to create their own company and enter the industry professionally, while in 1997, after their investment plan was included in the then development law, they completed their winery-distillery, which in the following years was expanded six times, adapting to new trends and needs.
The prospect of local varieties
From the very beginning, the two brothers saw the potential of the local varieties of Karnachalas and Keratsouda, which were not being properly exploited. Thus, they became the first to deal seriously and professionally with them, now highlighting them as wine and creating the corresponding single-varietal wines. «Studies have been conducted by the Agricultural Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as the University of Athens, on these varieties, which concluded that they are special and very promising,» explains Grigoris Bellas. In fact, in collaboration with the Friends of the Vine and Wine Association «O Stafylos», the Bella Brothers created an experimental vineyard with 17 local varieties, next to their own area, which they take care of, thus showing their faith in native varieties. "There was a chemist's shop in Soufli during the Ottoman occupation, while the city had one of the first private oenological laboratories in Greece. Before World War I, the area under vines amounted to 12,000 acres," says Grigoris Bellas. The family's passion for wine has apparently been passed down to the next generation, specifically to his son Thanasis Bellas, who is preparing to leave his own mark on the business.
Source https://www.voria.gr/article/afi-mpella-klinontas-tin-iniki-paradosi-tou-soufliou-se-ena-mpoukali
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