Closed Wineries

On Monday, 25 January 2016, Ktima Gerovassiliou will be closed, to protest against the imposition of the excise tax on wine. It is a collective and symbolic gesture of the wine sector, that projects to present a future without wineries and thus without viticulture and Greek wine.

We thank you for your understanding and support.

The official announcement of the wine sector:

Nationwide closing of wineries on Monday.
Extensive open discussions in nine wine regions on Saturday and Sunday.
An appeal to the State Council, a nationwide closure of wineries this Monday and open discussions in 9 major wine regions give the "stigma" of the new phase, in which the wine sector struggles to abolish the excise tax on wine.
In particular:
- The wine sector organizations (New Wines of Greece, KEOSOE, Greek Wine Federation) submitted yesterday to State Council an annulment of the ministerial decision (for violations of the Constitution and national legislation) and an application to suspend enforcement of the measure until the debate is conducted.
- On Monday (25/1), the hundreds of wineries in the country will be closed, in a symbolic act of protest, with flying black flags on the entrance.It is the first time in decades that modern businesses, such as wineries, identical to the existence and promotion of wine, one of the main Greek products with unique history and contribution to the economy, are forced, essentially by an irrational and unfair decision of the State, to make such a dramatic protest. On the same day, a delegation of the wine sector led by the presidents of the three organizations (Giannis Vogiatzis New Wines of Greece, Christos Markou KEOSOE, George Skouras Greek Wine Federation) will pay a visit to the Parliament to deliver the resolution of the protest to the government and the political parties.
- This weekend (23 and 24/1), the country's wineries organize open discussions in nine wine regions (Amyntaio, Naoussa, Drama, Thessaly, Thessaloniki, Athens, Nemea, Achaia, Heraklion). Representatives of local and regional authorities and members of the Parliament have been invited to the discussions. The positive response of everyone, along with the public statements of many of the local and regional authority representatives against the tax imposition, confirms that we have established a broad front against the unjust measure, that the government must take into account.
The wine sector, despite the unfavorable environment of the crisis, gave the battle of competitiveness and improvement of Greek wine in foreign markets with great success. The imposition of the excise tax alters everything, leading to introversion and threatening the survival of many wineries and hence viticulture. That is why the struggle for the abolition of the tax imposition is essential.

Athens, 21 January 2016
New Wines of Greece, KEOSOE, Greek Wine Federation