Haroula Spinthiropoulou – co-founder of ARGATIA WINERY
We continue our series on women in the wine industry. Today, Haroula Spinthiropoulou – co-founder of ARGATIA WINERY answers our questions.
What is wine for you?
My whole professional life, my way of living, without wine something is missing I think it helps me to be closer and more understandable to the others sharing wine around a table.
For me it means also a way to be regenerative every year: every new vegetative cycle means a bet with myself to do things better than next year, which keeps me constantly on my toes. Interesting and intriguing because I can not control the climatic conditions (fortunately) of each year, I just have to respect them and to produce the wine of the year.
How did you enter the wine industry?
I started in 1989 when the “Interprofessional Committee of wine of Naoussa” looked for an agronomist. I had just finished my University and I took over the vineyard of Naoussa. And then started the most interesting professional trip of my life next to people like Dr Stavroula Kourakou, John Boutaris, George Tsantalis etc.
What is your philosophy in making wine, and how is it reflected in your product?
I always thought that balance is the key element of vine cultivation and wine production. I tried to create this balance in our vineyards, to cultivate them organically and respect the influence of nature to the vineyard’s cycle. Also I tried to use science to help me improve my fruit.
In our winery we try to capture the influence of the year, and with our scientific knowledge and our experience to help the fruit to be better expressed. Like this, our wines reflect the climatic conditions of each year and each place, they are terroir driven wines and for this reason they present great differences between vintages.
How important do you consider education and training in the wine industry, and are there any special programs for women?
No special programs (and we don’t need special programs for women).
Education and training is the ALPHA and the OMEGA in our business and we are happy that there are educational programs in our country.
What advice would you give to young women who want to enter the wine business?
Patience, hard work, respect. Treat your colleagues the way you want to be treated. Don’t try to be men (you don’t have the physical power by nature, but you have more…) Be proud to be women and keep your own (feminine) way of perception of the wine world, it is much more interesting!
