Chris BerryFounder, Wine Underdogs — chasing the world’s overlooked grapesBuy the Thymiopoulos Young Vines at $22.97. It is the cheapest bottle here, the easiest to find, and the one most likely to explain why anyone bothers with a Greek grape they cannot pronounce.
Xinomavro is the closest thing wine has to arbitrage. Pale in the glass, ferocious in the mouth, perfumed with tar and dried rose, and priced like an afterthought because almost nobody outside Greece can say it out loud.
Our tasting data has it at body 4, acidity 5, tannin 5, with tomato, dried rose, olive and tar as its signature notes. Those are Barolo's numbers and most of Barolo's vocabulary, at a third of Barolo's money.
Before the list, an admission
This page used to carry five bottles and claimed all five were in stock. When I checked on 29 August 2026, two of them were not: the Alpha Estate Hedgehog Vineyard and the Markovitis Naoussa had both sold out, and the Thymiopoulos Naoussa had rolled from the 2021 to the 2023 vintage.
A buying guide that sends you to a sold-out bottle is worse than no buying guide. Below are four that were live and price-checked on the same day, and I have said where each one falls short.
Disclosure: some links here are affiliate links — if you buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more You must be 21+ to buy alcohol in the United States.Wine.com is the seller: they take the payment, ship the bottle and handle returns, and what's available depends on the state you pick at checkout. I never see your order.
1. Thymiopoulos "Young Vines" Xinomavro 2024 — $22.97
Apostolos Thymiopoulos farms organically in Naoussa, and this is his early-drinking cuvée: unoaked, bright, and more immediately likeable than Xinomavro usually manages. It is the bottle to hand a sceptic, because it leads with perfume rather than tannin.
The catch: this is the entry wine and 2024 is very young. You get the aromatics and the acid, not the depth or the grip that make people patient with this grape. It is a brilliant introduction and not the finished argument.
Buy the Thymiopoulos Young Vines →
2. Kir-Yianni Naoussa "Cuvée Villages" 2022 — $24.97
The estate the Boutari family founded, and the most polished wine at this price. Vinous rated this vintage 91. Where the Thymiopoulos is bright and immediate, this is rounder and better behaved, with the tannin sanded down a little.
The catch: that polish costs you some of the wildness. If what you want from Xinomavro is the strange savoury edge that makes it distinct from every other red, this is the bottle least likely to give it to you.
Buy the Kir-Yianni Cuvée Villages →
3. Thymiopoulos Naoussa Xinomavro 2023 — $28.99
The trade up from Young Vines, same hands and same village, with real depth behind it. Dried herb and red fruit over a tannic frame that will still be interesting in a decade. This is where the grape starts making the Barolo comparison feel earned rather than convenient.
The catch: it is closed young. Open this tonight without a decanter and you will wonder what the fuss is about. Give it an hour, or give it three years.
Buy the Thymiopoulos Naoussa →
4. Domaine Karydas Xinomavro 2022 — $30.97
Old-school Naoussa from a small family estate, currently discounted from $35. Savoury, firm, and built the way Xinomavro was made before anyone worried about being approachable. The most traditional wine on this list.
The catch: it is also the least forgiving. The tomato-and-olive character is front and centre here, and if that note is not for you, this is the bottle that will prove it.
If you want to go further
Above this list sits Kir-Yianni's Ramnista, a single-vineyard Naoussa at $39.99 that is the natural next step once you know you like the grape. It is over the ceiling this page promises, so it is a mention rather than a pick.
How to choose
Never had it, want to find out tonight — Thymiopoulos Young Vines.
Want the most polished glass for the money — Kir-Yianni Cuvée Villages.
Already sold on the grape and want structure — Thymiopoulos Naoussa.
Want Naoussa the way it used to taste — Domaine Karydas.
How to serve it
Cooler than room temperature, around 60F. Warm, the tannin turns coarse and the alcohol pushes forward; cool, the acidity reads as lift. Twenty minutes in the fridge is enough.
Decant it, or at least open it early. And put food in front of it. High acid and firm tannin want fat and protein, which is why Xinomavro and a slow lamb ragù is one of the easier wins in wine.
Prices checked on wine.com, 29 August 2026, and they move.
Want the full story on the grape? Read the Xinomavro deep dive, or see how it compares with the other Nebbiolo alternatives in Wines Like Barolo. Greece has a second great red too, Agiorgitiko, and both sit in the Greece regional guide.
For more bottles like this one, the Underdog Starter List is ten of them under $25, sent when I find them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Xinomavro to buy?
Thymiopoulos Young Vines, at around $23. It is the cheapest serious bottle on the shelf and the one most likely to convert someone who has never heard of the grape. If you already know you like Xinomavro and want more structure, move up to Thymiopoulos Naoussa or Domaine Karydas.
How much should I spend on a good Xinomavro?
Between $23 and $31 buys you the real thing. That is the honest headline: this grape does not require the money that Barolo does, and spending more mostly buys ageing potential rather than immediate pleasure. Above $40 you reach single-vineyard bottles worth cellaring, not drinking tonight.
Is Xinomavro really similar to Barolo?
On structure, genuinely yes. Both are pale, high in acid, firmly tannic, and carry tar and dried rose aromatics. The difference is a savoury tomato note in Xinomavro that Nebbiolo does not have. Some drinkers love it and some find it disconcerting in a red wine.
Which Xinomavro producer should I start with?
Thymiopoulos for value and perfume, Kir-Yianni for polish, Domaine Karydas for old-school Naoussa grip. All three are in Naoussa, which is the grape's heartland, and all three are under $31 at the moment.
Does Xinomavro need decanting?
It benefits from it more than most reds at this price. Young Xinomavro is tight and tannic straight from the bottle and opens considerably over an hour. Decant it, or pour a glass and leave the rest alone for forty minutes. Serve it cooler than room temperature, around 60F.
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