From Curating to Creating
Of Winemakers and Winners: The Noble House Uncorks a New Chapter and Its Restaurants Raise the Glass
The Danai & Noble House Vineyard, Greece: Among the 1,700 labels and over 18,000 bottles of The Noble House, Greece’s largest private wine collection, a new bottle took its place this season: „Noble Story”, the estate’s first own wine, uncorked to mark the reopening of The Danai for the 2026 season. The Noble House is the vinous soul of The Danai’s dining venues: The Squirrel was awarded three FNL stars for the tenth consecutive year and Andromeda Restaurant two – until the Michelin Guide extends its assessments to this region of Greece, the FNL Awards* serve as its culinary equivalent.
Greece’s Largest Wine Collection Gets Its First Own Label
International fine wines and rare vintages, among them some of the most storied bottles in the world, line the 130-metre vaulted cellar alongside a carefully curated selection of Greek producers. Among them, „Noble Story” now finds its place: the estate’s first own wine, a red that stands for provenance and craftsmanship, expanding The Noble House concept of wine collection, tasting restaurant and vineyard with a line of its own.
For Head Sommelier Apostolos Plahouras, who has shaped the wine culture at The Danai since 2010, the creation of Noble Story marks a deliberate transition from curator to creator. Planted with heat-resistant varieties such as Grenache, Mourvèdre and a Syrah variant, the vineyard is his first as a winemaker. „When you vinify the first bottle, you don’t yet know exactly what the land demands of you. You know neither the flavour potential nor the exact characteristics of the wine, nor the proportions of the grape varieties. The first bottlings reveal what the soil requires to give its very best.”
The estate is a discovery vineyard: guests are invited to experience the agricultural care of the vines firsthand. Tastings take place on The Noble House grounds, in an open-air tasting restaurant with show kitchen, set between the wine cellar and the vineyard, overlooking the sea. The name „Noble Story” reflects the philosophy of The Danai’s wine programme: the collection is not an archive, but a living dialogue between sommelier, wine culture and guests. And The Noble House, a centre for Greek hospitality and the joy of wine. Built from warm sandstone and draped in ivy, the architecture draws inspiration from the region’s monasteries, lending the space an almost contemplative atmosphere. The 130-metre vaulted cellar stretches into a quiet vanishing point: warm terracotta walls arching overhead, up to 18,000 bottles resting in iron cradles on one side, rare vintages lying in straw-lined wooden cases on the other, the lighting low and deliberate.
The Squirrel: Dining Under the Stars, Three of Them Glittering from the Menu
From the canopies of century-old pine trees, small black squirrels peer down – the namesake inhabitants of the restaurant. Below, the evening unfolds: guests seated in wrought iron chairs, whose backs unfurl like leaves, looking out over the classical white balustrade onto the Aegean. With only five tables, the gourmet restaurant The Squirrel is one of the most sought-after addresses in the country.
Chef Vasilis Mouratidis is multiple-awarded and one of the most recognisable faces of Greek haute cuisine. The menu captivates with delicately prepared cherry tomatoes, Irish langoustines, and the quiet luxury of Ossetra caviar. Each dinner is accompanied by The Danai’s sommelier team, awarded Best Wine Program in Greece and Best Sommelier in Greece. The Squirrel has now been recognised with three FNL stars for ten consecutive years – a testament to a kitchen that continues to reinvent itself creatively while remaining absolutely true to its quality.
Andromeda Restaurant, The Danai’s fine dining venue with sea views on its iconic marble terrace, was awarded two FNL stars.
