Nestor Winery S.A. is a relatively young enterprise. It was established in 2015 and is the result of a groundbreaking partnership between the Nestor Agricultural & Winemaking Cooperative of Messinia and the Spyros Lafazanis Family, owners of the Lafazanis Winery in Nemea, Corinthia. We established our company with a view to reviving the significant contribution of the Messinia Agricultural & Winemaking Cooperative to the Greek oenological scene and assist in every way we can in the effort to re-introduce the terroir of Messinia.

In 1954, eight hundred winegrowers of Messinia joined forces to form a cooperative in the winegrowing and winemaking sector. For its times, the “Nestor Agricultural and Winemaking Cooperative of Messinia” was as unique as it was pioneering. The goal of the cooperative was to absorb and showcase its members’ winegrowing production. For its emblem and symbol, the Nestor Cooperative chose the griffin, a creature of legend with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion which, according to mythology, guarded only priceless treasures. The cooperative’s first seat was in the village of Yalova in the Bay of Navarino, an area which, for many years was viewed as the strategically right location for winegrowing and winemaking activities. That was the cooperative’s first winery. Complying with all the modern trends of the times, the winery was outfitted with the latest in cutting edge equipment. Some time later, in 1980, the winegrowers who were members of that Messinia cooperative decided to enrich the local vineyards with international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. They also began cultivating other international varieties such as Grenache Rouge, Grenache Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo. Implementation of those practices was the cooperative’s crucial as well as timely contribution to the region’s winegrowing activities. In 1993, the Messinia Winemaking Cooperative built its second winery on the hill over the village of Pyrgaki in Trifylia, a mere 6 km away from the ancient palace of King Nestor. As the design of that complex was evocative of the majestic architecture of the ancient king’s palace, the new winery takes the name “Temple of Wine”. And indeed it was: it had a capacity of processing and storing ten thousand tons of wine. It was a time when the cooperative was in its heyday living through moments that were decisive for its future growth. Sadly, over time, developments in the wine trade, the last decades’ economic slump, and lack of appropriate funding brought the Nestor Agricultural & Winemaking Cooperative of Messinia before the specter of having to close down. The cooperative’s members and board of directors unanimously decided to join forces with a private entity in order to save the cooperative. In 2014 they signed the initial agreement and the following year “Nestor Winery of Messinia S.A.” was founded.

Spyros Lafazanis’ philosophy is clear-cut: commitment, respect, and honesty. Our company owns two fully structured and state-of-the-art wineries in the Peloponnese which are steadily being staffed with people of flawless training, people with whom we are on the best of terms. Our main goals are to showcase the varieties specific to each area by taking advantage of our long-standing expertise in the winegrowing and winemaking sectors. To do that, we are constantly experimenting and we compile studies relating to all stages of the production process. Part of our company’s philosophy is environmental stewardship, a field in which we are well versed. Another part of that same philosophy is compliance with and accreditation from quality management (ISO 9001:2008) and food safety (ISO 22000:2005) systems.