No matter how you do it, if you want to enjoy Antithessi on your own terms, you’ll have to climb a lot of stairs or tackle a serious elevation gain. Parissi Winery, the only winery directly on the “roof” of Skiathos, sits along one of the island’s most beautiful hiking trails, around the highest peak, Mytikas. A stop like this on Skiathos was simply impossible to skip.
A Small Winemaking Revolution
The first thing that struck me was the panorama of the island. Then the architecture and the genius loci of the place… But when I first stepped into Parissi Winery, I didn’t expect to find myself in the middle of such a family saga. The winery, founded by the Parisi family, is about more than wine – it’s a story of courage, tradition, and survival during the pandemic. Giannis Parisi and Maria Koutseri manage a very young and small winery that has already been through stormy times.
“It’s actually the only one on Skiathos,” Maria begins. Their vineyards cover 45 stremmata (a Greek unit of land measurement; one stremma equals 1,000 m²). They are patriots. They grow only traditional Greek grape varieties, such as Rovitis, Assyrtico, Malagousia, Muscat of Alexandria, Xinoma, and Vronimio.
All the vineyards are rain-fed – the vines need only natural water. “We want the roots to go deep into the soil. That’s where they find minerals and nutrients that give the wine its flavor,” she adds.
The history of wine on Skiathos goes back to antiquity, when a popular Roman drink called Stratis was produced here – a wine in which seawater was added during fermentation. It was said to aid digestion after overeating at symposia. 🙂
Destroyed Vineyards and a Return to Tradition
“In the 1940s and 1950s, the island was covered in vineyards, until Phylloxera came – the insect that destroyed the roots of nearly all European vineyards. Locals turned to olive groves and tourism. People preferred to buy wine for a hundred euros than to restore vineyards again,” Maria recalls.
Giannis Parisi, today the head of the winery, has been involved with wine since childhood. “I was 12 when I was learning the trade of an electrician, then I went to work on cargo ships to see the world and earn more,” he says. After returning, he started the vineyards with his family, at first just as a hobby, to revive tradition and test whether the island’s soil could still give something. His professional interest was further inspired by observing monks pruning vines on the uninhabited island of Kerapanaya.
Wine as a Mission
“Skiathos is a popular destination, but it’s a small island, with little to offer locally. We wanted to show people who we are and how we make wine,” Maria explains. They built the winery, hired an oenologist, and began cultivating vineyards again.
They ran a prosperous hotel, but building a winery with modern technology was a massive and costly investment. The family exhausted all savings and took loans from banks and relatives. Then COVID hit.
Parissi Winery
The year 2020 brought the pandemic. The winery was unfinished, hotels were closed, money was gone. “The hardest part was when our kids, 15 and 17, wanted ten euros for a coffee and we had to tell them we had nothing. The whole family was under enormous pressure,” Maria recalls.
In 2020, they made a critical decision. To avoid losing everything, they reluctantly sold their well-established hotel business to gain time and cover debts. Selling the hotel was the only way to survive. “It was painful but necessary. Now we can pay for the kids’ education and gradually repay debts. Guests who come and leave thrilled give us the energy to continue,” Maria says with a smile.
Wine is more than a drink. It’s a story, tradition, courage, and family. Every sip reminds you that a family can survive, stay true to its roots, and – sometimes – even laugh when things don’t go perfectly.
Maria Koutseri
Wine and Tourism Hand in Hand
Today, Parissi Winery is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and visitors mostly come independently – 70% are solo travelers, the rest through travel agencies. “Some tourists come because of Mamma Mia, but we’re not fans of that trend. For us, what matters is that they come to us and experience authentic Skiathos,” the owner adds.
For hikers and tourists, it’s a perfect destination after one of the island’s most scenic trails around Mount Mytikas. Even though the island is small, the winery provides an ideal stop for those who want to end their excursion with a glass of quality Greek wine with a story.
Why Visit Parissi Winery?
- Experience a unique offering on the island of Skiathos.
- “Taste the soil” of Skiathos through their wines.
- Enjoy panoramic views of Skiathos from the elevated winery location.
