Thessaloniki International Wine and Spirits Competition /Oenotelia is the wine festival that anchors the Macedonia calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year.
Thessaloniki International Wine and Spirits Competition / Oenotelia is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Macedonia calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at HELEXPO in Thessaloniki, in the heart of one of Greece's most distinctive wine areas. It has been running since 2007, with a long unbroken local tradition behind it.
Oenotelia is one of southeastern Europe's most important wine trade fairs, with hundreds of Greek and international producers presenting at HELEXPO. The programme combines trade tastings with masterclasses on Greek indigenous varieties, sommelier sessions, the Thessaloniki International Wine and Spirits Competition, and a public day during the run of the event. The fair has become the main professional fixture for Greek wine. Wine trade fairs are the most efficient way to taste a broad cross-section of producers in a short time. Attendees can expect organised tasting halls grouped by appellation, masterclass programmes with guest speakers, sommelier-led sessions on individual grape varieties, and structured opportunities to meet producers. Most major events are reserved for trade visitors — buyers, importers, sommeliers, journalists, restaurateurs — but include public-facing days or evenings during the run of the event. The events have grown into key fixtures of the international wine industry calendar, with several drawing buyers from over 60 countries. The event is organised by HELEXPO / WSWA, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Macedonia in northern Greece is the country's red-wine heartland and the home of Xinomavro, Greece's most structured indigenous red grape — sometimes called the 'Nebbiolo of Greece' for its tannic intensity and ageing potential. The four protected appellations are Naoussa (the historic Xinomavro reference), Amyndeo (cooler, higher-altitude, also producing rosé and sparkling), Goumenissa (Xinomavro blended with Negoska), and Slopes of Meliton/Côtes de Meliton in Halkidiki. The region also produces high-quality whites from Assyrtiko, Malagousia (resurrected from near-extinction by Domaine Gerovassiliou) and international varieties. Producers like Boutari, Kir-Yianni, Alpha Estate, Domaine Karydas, Thymiopoulos and Gerovassiliou set the regional quality reference.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for February-March 2026. Cost details: Trade registration / public day passes. Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.oenotelia.gr/. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date.
Macedonia is reached via Thessaloniki airport (SKG), Greece's second-largest city, with Thessaloniki itself the natural base and Naoussa, Amyndeo and Goumenissa within 1-2 hours by car. Macedonian cuisine pairs the wines with the region's distinctive mezedes, soutzoukakia (spiced meatballs in tomato sauce), bougatsa, the area's strong cheese traditions (feta, kasseri, manouri), and the wider eastern Mediterranean food culture. Beyond wine, the UNESCO-listed monasteries of Mount Athos, the archaeological site of Vergina (the royal Macedonian tombs), and the Halkidiki beaches add to the regional travel offer.
