Theotoky Family

The Theotoky Family are an old landowning family in Corfu Island, Greece, several members of which have been prominent politicians. They originally hailed from Constantinople, whence they fled following its fall to the Ottomans, eventually settling in Corfu. The Theotoky Family is one of the oldest families in Greece and the Estate has been in the family for generations. John Theotoky, father of the current owner, Georges Theotoky.

Georges Theotoky, the son of John Theotoky, took over the Estate in the 60’s, at a time when wine making in Greece was almost nonexistent, in a commercial way. The development of the Theotoky Estate, has been George’s and his Italian wife’s Claudia’s passion ever since and their delectable red and white wine has become among the most celebrated estate bottled vintages in Greece. Under George’s direction, the cellar has been completely renewed and modernised, bringing its production methods up to modern high standards, whilst maintaining the traditional appearance of the buildings which house the old barrels and bottles.

The Estate is located at Ropa Valley, near the village of Giannades, only half way to the popular landmark of Palaiokastritsa. It comprises more than 300 acres, much of it covered by pine trees, olive groves and vineyards. It is one of the most fertile areas of the island. The Estate is one of the most ecological and peaceful spots on Corfu.

The Library is thoroughly modernised; its extensive collected works have been catalogued and computer indexed for ease of access. It is located in an ancient farm building expressly restored with state of the art technology to ensure the safekeeping and easy access to a prize collection of rare antique books and archives.

The collection comprises some 35,000 ancient and modern books, maps, engravings and journals specialising in the history, art, iconography, religion and law of the Byzantine Empire, the Balkans and the Ionian Islands. This library, with its many rare books and papers, is a unique private collection which continues to be added to through the passion and dedication of its founder and provider, Mr. Georges Theotoky.

Born from a collection of old machinery, the Theotoky Estate Museum shows the evolution in the wine making from the beginning of this century and how harder the process of wine making was. Through pictures, it shows the feet fouling of the grapes, the old grape press and the collection of the juice in wooden baskets. The old barrels have a special glass isolating the wine from taking air. An old weighing machine bears the name of Georges J. Theotoky on it. A unique bottle washer stands among other machinery worth exploring.

The locally famous and of exceptional quality Theotoky wine, dry white, red and rose, is produced and bottled in the Estate’s 15 acres of vineyards. The wine is produced in the traditional way and the process of fermentation and maturation, which takes place in stainless steel tanks gives the wine physical stability and outstanding quality and taste. All our wines are organic, certified by TUV Hellas. (Click on each bottle for a detailed description).

The island of Corfu is famed for its delicious olives. The Island is said to have some four million olive trees, some more than 500 years old. During the four hundred years of Venetian Rule, the Corfiots were paid to plant and cultivate olive trees, replacing the old trees with new vigorous olive groves that flourished in Corfu’s lush climate. At the Theotoky Estate, the olives are early harvested by mechanical olive shakers that drop them onto fine nets laid out around the trees. Then the olives are sent to the mill the very same day to be pressed.