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Eminent Greek winery founder dies aged 82
Yiannis Boutaris, founder of Kir-Yianni winery and former president of the Greek Wine Federation, died on 9 November.
Boutaris established the Kir-Yianni winery in 1997. He passed away on the night of 9 November at the age of 82 and was laid to rest on Tuesday, 11 November, at the Thessaloniki Town Hall in northern Greece.
Boutaris was born in 1942 in Thessaloniki and started his career studying chemistry and oenology. During his career in wine, he strived to diversify and unify the Greek wine industry.
In the late 1960s, Yiannis Boutaris implemented single-varietal Xinomavro planting and pioneered viticulture research and development, marking a new era for the rejuvenation of the region and the empowerment of local producers. A few years later, his insight into the Santorini vineyard sparked efforts to preserve and develop the island’s viticulture and wine production.
He served as president of the Greek Wine Federation, supported the scientific and research program of The Greek Wine Institute, and initiated the birth of wine tourism in Greece by co-founding the Association of Winemakers of North Greece in 1993, which respectively introduced the Eight Wine Roads of Northern Greece in 1997.
In 1997, Boutaris established his own winery, Kir-Yianni. The new endeavour operated in both Naoussa and Amyndeon, two prominent terroirs in northern Greece that are key appellations for Xinomavro. Yiannis Boutaris recognised the potential of the Amyndeon region beyond just Xinomavro; in 1989, he planted the first white varieties in select parcels, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and later introduced Assyrtiko, Malagousia, and Roditis. Today, the region is renowned for producing high-altitude, cooler-climate white wines.
In 2004, Yiannis Boutaris officially passed the baton to his son, fifth-generation winemaker Stellios Boutaris, while his younger son Mihalis Boutaris is at the head of Vineyard R&D, sustainability and Boutaris Foundation.
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