control of Greek Macedonia. Uprooted
computers with ancient farming methods,
Anestis sautééd chicken cutlets in
during the 1922 transfer of populations
he has noticed a good effect on his
olive oil, caramelized onions and
between the new republic of Turkey
health as a farmer. Anestis states the
peppers, and flamed all with his
and Greece, Anestis’ grandfather
grapes are healthier, and the wines do
vineyard’s classic Greek white roditis.
settled in Thessaloniki where A.
not need as many added preservatives.
He finished it off with the juice of a
Babatzim & Co distillery thrived and
expanded.
couple lemons. Thin pork cutlets were
Many of the estate’s 700 trees – fruit and
similarly treated and added to a thick
nuts dominate – as well as rose bushes
bubbling tomato sauce. Pasta, feta
Born out of Ottoman religious bans on
serve as bellweathers. If they become ill
cheese with herbs & olive oil, Greek
wine, entrepreneurial Greek
he takes aggressive action to eradicate
salad, bread and wine completed
winemakers found a distilled spirits
the problem on these sympathetic plants
lunch.
loophole thus giving birth to raki and
but preventative measures on the grape
tsipouro. Raki was made from grape
vines. This growing method for 1,870
mash and leaves, whereas tsipouro
grape vines, all harvested by hand using
only from the mash. The more refined
local villagers, is more labor intensive. In
distillation, ouzo, kept vineyards alive
the past 14 years Anestis’ major
for centuries of Ottoman rule and
complaint has been his inability to
became the spirit of a nation. The EU
maintain his once daily swim.
recognized ouzo and tsipouro as
original Greek distillations in 1987,
In the stone and glass walled restaurant,
whereas raki was recognized as Turk
chef Anestis Babatzimopoulos prepared
since it was created under the
our lunch of classic dishes while
Ottoman Empire. A. Babatzim & Co’s
expressing equal passion about using
ouzo and tsipouro continue as national
Greek products rather than the trend
leaders.
toward imports. He says word-of-mouth
does more for his business, and those of
Anestis built Domaine Anesti
his neighbors, than any ad campaign.
Babatzimopoulou in 1999 outside
Yet he’s working on developing an
Ossa yet his research into the viability
association of the best producers,
of an organic vineyard for Greek
farmers and village markets to promote
grapes started 30 years before.
their regional honey, beef, cheese,
Perhaps that’s why his Ossa label is
produce and wine, and he wants t