In this blog we mentioned the wines of Tsantali / Chromitsa a few times before, but some of these blogs were in Dutch, that’s why I decided to publish this information again (with some new information). Let’s start with a film from You Tube, were the maker of Tsantali Athos-wines, George Salpiggidis, viticultural director of Tsantali Winery, explains a lot in English (2008):
The most extraordinary wine that Tsantali produces comes from wineyards some 250 meters above the monastery of Panteleimon and is (exclusively?) served as the official wine of the Kremlin. It is called Kormilitsa Gold.
This story comes from the Tsantali website:
Kormilitsa Tsantali for the new Russian President
“On the 7th of May 2008, a special Grand Ceremony was held in the Gold Throne Room of the Kremlin Palace to inaugurate the new Russian President Dmitry Anatolievich Medvedev, successor of former President Putin.
During the inauguration process the new President and his family sought the blessing of the Russian Patriarch Alexiy 2nd before taking on his new duties.
The Patriarch Alexiy gave his blessing to President Medvedev and offered him an hagiography of Jesus Christ and 30 numbered bottles of Kormilitsa Gold by the Tsantali Family, originating from the Saint Panteleimon Monastery of the Mount Athos Vineyards.
Patriarch Alexiy 2nd personally offered the Kormilitsa Gold with the escalating number 1 to the new President, along with his blessing for a successful and prosperous incumbency. The Kormilitsa Gold bore a special dedication embossed in gold with the blessing of the Holy Mount Athos and the Patriarch Alexiy 2nd, to accompany the President Medvedev for the next years of his Presidency.
The choice of the Russian Patriarch to offer the Kormilitsa Gold on this special occasion follows the significant honor to the Tsantali Family to award the “Kormilitsa Selection†with the title of the “Official Purveyor of the Moscow Kremlinâ€.
The Tsantali Family’s “Kormilitsa†Selection is comprised of the Kormilitsa Red and White, Kormilitsa Kagor and the the organic Kormilitsa Cellar and the President’s limited release organic Kormilitsa Gold”.
Strangely enough the Kormilitsa Gold is for sale on a Hongkong website for 1888 H Dollar = € 175,00! Kormilitsa white and red cost € 16,50 / € 18,25 and the Kagor € 42,00. The Kremlin wine will cost you € 290,00 in Russia (with a box) !
The other wines are only available in Russia and not for sale in Western Europe/Amerika:
Thank you so much for posting some extraordinary views of the Holy Mountain and its monasteries.
I particularly enjoyed viewing the black and white phots from the 1970s.