Robola Wine

Robola is a white grape grown almost exclusively on Kefalonia, planted on steep, stony limestone ground where the vines root into rock, and it produces a dry white with citrus and mineral character and firm acidity that has carried a protected designation since 1971. The main concentration is in the Omala valley below Mount Ainos, where the growers' cooperative, founded in 1982 with some three hundred member families, has a visitor winery offering free tastings and a view over the vineyards. Several private estates in the area also receive visitors. The valley holds the monastery of Agios Gerasimos, the island's patron, and the drive continues up into the black fir forest of Ainos National Park where semi-wild horses graze.

What you actually see

• The stony vineyards - vines rooted in white limestone on steep ground.
• The cooperative winery - a visitor facility with tastings above the valley.
• The Omala valley - the appellation's heart below Mount Ainos.
• The September harvest - picking on slopes too steep for machines.

When to go

September for harvest, when the cooperative is at its busiest; tastings run year-round with reduced winter hours. Spring gives green slopes and the best driving weather.

Honest expectations

Visits need a car and a driver who does not taste. Some smaller estates open only by appointment or in summer. The wine is widely available on the island, so the visit is about the setting more than access to the bottles.

Nearby

Agios Gerasimos monastery is in the same valley; Ainos National Park rises above and Argostoli lies west.