At A Glance
- Region
- Ionian Islands, Greece
- Appellation
- PGI Kefalonia
- Village
- Kladata, Lixouri
- Main grapes
- Mavrodaphne, Vostilidi, Muscat Petit Grain
- Signature wine
- Mademoiselle (Mavrodaphne)
- Defining feature
- Regenerative viticulture on an island estate in continuous family ownership
The Producer
Kladata sits on the outskirts of Lixouri, the main town on the western peninsula of Kefalonia. Haritatos Vineyard has occupied this ground since 1863, growing grape varieties that exist almost nowhere else in production: Mavrodaphne as a dry table wine, Vostilidi, and Muscat Petit Grain. Three siblings, Ioanna, Haritos, and Konstantinos Haritatos, now manage the estate and farm its five hectares under a regenerative agricultural approach, working the soil in ways that avoid synthetic inputs and aim to rebuild the vitality of the land over time. All five of the estate's labels carry PGI Kefalonia designation, tying them to the island's protected geographical indication. The estate is also part of the Greek Ministry of Tourism's Open to Public Wineries network.
Place
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and sits off the western coast of mainland Greece, separated from the wine regions most associated with Greek red wine production, including the Patras area on the Peloponnese. That geographic distance matters for the grapes. Mavrodaphne grown in Patras is typically made into a sweet, fortified wine. On Kefalonia, in the hands of Haritatos, it is fermented dry as a table wine, producing something altogether different in weight and character. The Lixouri peninsula, where Kladata sits, gives the estate its western exposure and island climate.
Wines
The range is built on Kefalonia's indigenous varieties. Mavrodaphne is the anchor, appearing in Mademoiselle, a wine made in stainless steel tanks without oak maturation. Fermented this way, the grape retains its primary fruit: cherry, raspberry, fresh fig, and a finish with laurel. The wine has a medium-full body, crisp acidity, and soft tannins. It is made to be served with a slight chill, which suits the style, since the fruit stays vivid and the tannins do not grip when the wine is cool.
Final Word
Haritatos is a five-hectare Kefalonian estate farming varieties rarely seen outside the island, with Mademoiselle, its tank-fermented dry Mavrodaphne, showing what the grape becomes when it is made without oak and served cool.