Naousa

Naousa climbs the eastern foothills of Mount Vermio in the Imathia regional unit, a green and well-watered town whose name, a corruption of the Roman Nova Augusta, hints at its long history. To wine lovers it is hallowed ground, for the vineyards on the surrounding slopes are the spiritual home of Xinomavro, one of Greece's greatest red grapes. High in acidity and tannin, deeply coloured and capable of ageing for decades, Xinomavro has earned comparisons with Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir, and the wines of Naousa were granted Greece's first appellation of origin, a Protected Designation, back in 1971.

The estates that ring the town, planted between roughly one and four hundred metres on soils of schist, lime and clay, welcome visitors for tastings and cellar tours, and a day spent moving between them is the essence of a visit. Autumn, when the harvest is under way and the vine leaves turn, is an especially fine time to come.

Naousa is more than a wine town, however. Watered by mountain streams, it is famous for its parks and gardens, above all the wooded Agios Nikolaos park on its edge, where springs feed pools and shaded walks among the plane trees. The town carries the honorific of a heroic city for its uprising and terrible destruction in 1822 during the Greek War of Independence, remembered each year in solemn commemorations, and it is also known for its exuberant carnival, the Boules, whose masked dancers fill the streets before Lent.

Nearby lies one of Macedonia's quiet treasures, the School of Aristotle at ancient Mieza, the leafy nymphaeum where the philosopher is said to have tutored the young Alexander the Great. The ski resort of Seli and Tria-Pente Pigadia on Mount Vermio are within easy reach for winter visitors.

Naousa is reached by road, about ninety kilometres from Thessaloniki and a short drive from Veria. Spring and autumn are the most rewarding seasons, though the vineyards and mountains reward a visit at any time of year.