Familiar wines are a collaborative project from restaurateur Nikos Nyfoudis, a passionate advocate for Greek food and wine, and Aslanis family winery based in Nea Michaniona, Thessaloniki. A few years ago, Nikos realised that it was very difficult to find the fresh, defined style of low-intervention Greek wine that he was seeking for his restaurants. With friends in wine production and a lifelong involvement with food and wine, the solution seemed obvious – to make the wines he wanted to see in his restaurants! 

Aslanis itself is a resolutely family affair with Laskaris, Syrmo and their daughters Vicky and Lena all working at the winery. Their 4 hectares of vines are farmed organically and Lena (who takes the lead in the cellar) quickly understood what Nikos was looking to achieve. The Familiar wines are from vines around 25 years old, all are wild fermented with no additions or manipulations in the cellar. The ‘Vasiliki’ Assyrtiko has a generous yet pithy, mineral nature with a little bit of grip and slightly oxidative hints. As well as the Familiar, Nikos collaborates on another project – Celini Wines. These organic farmed, easy-going wines from Tsikrikonis Winery in Eastern Macedonia in a pure, bright, fruit forward style.