Julia Drouvas is the winemaker at Drouvas Family Winery in Olympia, Greece. She grew up on the family estate, surrounded by vineyards that became her first home. Choosing to study Oenology felt natural — a way to understand the vine, the wine, and what she was already drawn to. Her father encouraged her to see the estate with a more strategic eye and to explore ways to develop the vineyards and their wines.
While waiting for the bottling license, she worked at the Athens wine bar Heteroclito, gaining exposure to a wide range of Greek varieties and daily tastings. The experience reinforced her desire to become a winemaker. She studied Oenology in Athens from 2009 to 2014, worked at Heteroclito until 2021, and has been with Drouvas Winery since 2017.
Julia never felt obligated to continue the family vineyards; her return was driven by a personal commitment to continue the family legacy, protect the estate’s varietals and realise their potential. Media Inquiries: Julia Drouvas drouvajulia@gmail.com | https://drouvawinery.gr/en/homepage/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
We trace the Drouvas Family history back to the mid-1950s, when our descendants, Vasilios Drouvas, and grandfather Sakis Drouvas, cultivated and traded raisins. We are a multi-generation family of growers. Our 200-acre estate was established in the 1960s with plantings of 70-acres of native grapes, olive, lemon and orange trees. The family has been making wine since the 1980s. When you visit, you will meet my father, Spyros, who is teaching and slowly turning the wine business over to me, and my mother, who prepares mezze plates for all our guests.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
We’re a small family of farmers and winemakers. We waste nothing. In fact, the pomace of the pressed grape skins to distilled into Tsipouro, a grape spirit. This is how we survive. If I was not constrained in any way, I would grow all of our ventures and ensure the family would thrive for many more generations.
What is One Wine of the most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
For me, winemaking isn’t work — it’s a dialogue with nature. When I created my namesake and first rosé-light red, “Giuli,” something deeply personal was born: a wine both tender and strong, like
our land itself. Ultimately, wine is simply emotion translated into taste. Read my review of “Guili”, the first wine made by Julie.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
I grew up among the vines, with my grandfather Sakis — the first winemaker of Drouvas Estate. He showed me that the vineyard doesn’t just need work; it needs love, care, and patience. Since then, every grape I hold carries a piece of him.