Patra Achaia Clauss

Location: Patra
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Achaia Clauss Winery in Patra Peloponnese: The Achaia Clauss Winery is one of the topmost tourist attractions in Achaian region situated upon a verdant hill about eight kilometers from the city of Patras. The Achaia Clauss Winery was founded in the 19th century by Gustav Clauss of Bavaria, Germany, who was besotted with the natural beauty of the region when he came to Patras to work for a German trading company.

Gustav became fascinated by the vineyards around Patras and by the great wines they produced. He soon bought a small vineyard and started producing wines, initially for his own consumption.
The success of his wine among his friends motivated Herr Claus to set up a large-scale winery. The Achaia Clauss Company was founded in 1861 and began commercial production of various types of wines, including the famous Mavrodaphne of Patras, which soon achieved great success in the Greek and the international markets, especially in Europe. According to legend, the Achaia Clauss was so popular with the Nazis that they spared the winery when they invaded Greece during the World War II.

In 1908, after the death of Gustav Clauss, the company was auctioned by the Greek government and sold to Vlassis Antonopoulos. However, Antonopoulos too was facing financial problems and sold the winery to its present owner, Nikos Karapanos. Although many decades have passed and the owner has changed, the Achaia Clauss Winery maintains the traditional method for producing wine.

The Achaia Clauss Winery is a very popular tourist destination at present, attracting around 200,000 visitors annually. Visitors are charmed by the breathtaking view of the landscape amidst which the winery is situated. Also of great interest are the 19th century stone buildings and the huge wine barrels carved from oak, especially the one containing the century-old Mavrodaphne wine.

The photo is from www.wikipedia.org