Nikos Karatzas

The Path

Founding Oenops Wines in 2015 and holding the Winemaker - CEO role at Oenops Wines PC place Nikos Karatzas in a dual position that keeps cellar work and company direction under the same roof. That continuity matters in wine: the decisions made in the cellar do not stay there, and the shape of the business reflects the same discipline. In Drama, Greece, the identity of the wines and the identity of the estate remain closely tied to the same name.

The Work Today

At Oenops Wines PC in Drama, Greece, the title Winemaker - CEO describes a split responsibility that is still one practice. On one side is the cellar, where timing and judgment are measured through aroma, texture, and control; on the other is the company itself, where those same choices carry outward. Nikos Karatzas holds both, keeping production and direction aligned through hands-on oversight rather than distance.

Signature

APLA White, APLA Rose, APLA Red, Oenops Xinomavraw 2022, and Oenops Wines Kidonitsa 2023 mark the range of Nikos Karatzas's work. Read together, the wines show a portfolio that moves across styles without losing its center. The list suggests a maker building with intent, each label part of the same disciplined approach.

In Their Words “He spent 24 hours of his first harvest destemming grapes by hand to make sure not an ounce of flavour was lost - that's how much quality means to Nikos.” The first line points to labor as method: 24 hours of hand destemming in a first harvest, repeated work used to protect flavor as far as possible.

Acclaim

Recognition here is attached to labor, not ceremony. The clearest example is the account of his first harvest, when he spent 24 hours destemming grapes by hand to make sure not an ounce of flavour was lost. In trade terms, that kind of detail is the point: quality shown through repetition, patience, and refusal to shortcut the work.