Achaia Clauss

ΑCHAIA CLAUSS, located on the namesake hill, was founded in 1861 by the Bavarian Gustav Clauss. On one of his trips, he got to know the region and was impressed by its stunning scenery. He initially bought a vineyard of just 15 acres and eventually built the Winecastle, still preserved until today.He created the sweet red wine Mavrodaphne of Patras in 1873 from his vineyard, after he had realized the potential of this variety and was already making excellent dry wine. Hence the order of the great Franz Liszt, who sent him a letter ordering some bottles of dry Mavrodaphne. Gustav Clauss is considered to be the inventor and establisher of the concept of Wine Tourism in Greece, following the visit of Austro-Hungarian Empress Sissi in 1885, in whose honor he even named a cellar (Imperial Cellar). Τhe year of 1899 was a milestone year, as Gustav Clauss brought a harvest from the mountain slopes of Kalavryta and bottled Demestica for the first time in Greece. Demestica became the ambassador of Greek winemaking methods, cutting across borders and rapidly spreading the reputation of Gustav’s winery around the world. In 1918 ACHAIA CLAUSS went under Greek ownership. Its facilities and winemaking methods are gradually modernized.