Antonis Papantonis is the founder and winemaker at Papantonis Winery in Nemea PDO in Greece. was born in Athens in 1950. After receiving his primary and secondary education in the Greek capital, he attended Hamilton College of Mason City (currently Kaplan University) in Iowa, USA, obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He started his economist career in big construction corporations in Africa and Middle East and returned to Greece to continue it there. Being disillusioned by the imbalance of big-city life, he decided to completely change course and turn his attention to nature, the vines, and the good wine. He settled in Malandreni, a village near Argos, started cultivating vines, and so his winemaking journey began.
Daring, learning from mistakes, applying his cosmopolitan knowledge, paying tribute to the philosophical heritage of his homeland, he treated the native grapes with respect (Agiorgitiko and Rhoditis vines and grapes). Antonis has kept alive the soul of a product intertwined with local history, tradition, and culture. Thus, viticulture and winemaking have been his life since 1979. He is a member of the board of E.N.O.A.P. (Association of the Wine Producers in Peloponnese) and a member of Chaine des Rotisseurs.
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What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
City-born, I discovered my love for wine at twenty-eight and bought an estate in Malandreni, Argos, taking viticulture courses to start a new life close to nature. For sixteen years, I tended my vines, experiencing a life both demanding and serene.
At 44, I pursued winemaking, building a small winery and initially working with my sister, Kalliopi. Winemaking has brought its challenges and its joys: opening fine barrels, tasting aged wines, winning medals, and hearing how my wines bring happiness to others.
My first wine, Meden Agan, comes from the Agiorgitiko grape and takes its name from the Delphic motto meaning “Nothing in Excess, Moderation is Best.” My second, a white blend of Roditis and Chardonnay called Metron Ariston, reflects harmony and balance, inspired by another ancient Greek motto emphasizing moderation.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
My winery is small, producing about 50,000 bottles a year, from the two —and only two— wines I make. Every three to five years, I also produce a sweet Agiorgitiko in very limited quantities.
My dream is to one day build, together with my son, Demosthenes —who is now studying viticulture and oenology— a larger, modern winery right in the vineyard itself. Then, I would devote myself mainly to cultivating the vines — where it all began.
What is One Wine of the most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Because I make only two wines, I can’t say which one is better; I consider them both my children. Still, I believe the true art and strength of wine lie in the reds — so perhaps “Meden Agan” has a slight edge over “Metron Ariston.”
I can’t claim to be completely satisfied with my wines — there’s always room for improvement. Maybe that’s why I produce only two labels: so I can keep perfecting them, year after year, with care and love. Read this wine review here.
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business?
I believe Greek wines are constantly improving. Over the past fifty years, we’ve begun making truly excellent wines, even after generations of lost tradition due to wars and urban migration.
Many of us trained in France, learning from centuries of winemaking to bring that knowledge back home. A winemaker sees only about thirty-five harvests in a lifetime, each one different — rain, frost, heat, abundance, or scarcity. These experiences build the collective wisdom passed down through generations, enabling the creation of truly good wines.
We, the people of wine — farmers, winemakers, researchers — work together with one goal: producing wines of the highest quality. Wine is more than a drink. As Victor Hugo said, “God made water, but man made wine,” reminding us of the human spark in creating something noble and essential.