Monemvasia – Mal(e)vasia of the Venetians, or Mal(e)voisie of the Franks, the “stone ship” of the poet Yiannis Ritsos – presents and celebrates a unique perspective of its history and culture.

From 24 to 26 of October 2025 the Malvasia wine, the most famous wine in history, celebrates at the 2nd International Malvasia Festival of Monemvasia, highlighting its aroma and culture, its taste and history, building its myth and searching for truths.

Following the impressive first edition in 2023, the festival returns under the title “In vino veritas”, inviting audiences to discover the truths hidden in a glass of wine with centuries of history.

Myth, historical truth, and artistic creation converge along the cobblestone alleys of Monemvasia’s castle to shape a three-day celebration filled with wine tastings, music concerts, and events of Word and Art. Monemvasia invites us to discover the unique identity of Malvasia wine and to “travel” to its most characteristic wine-producing regions—from Monemvasia, Paros, and Crete to Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Portugal.

The 1st Malvasia Wine Exhibition will introduce winegrowers and wines from regions of Greece (Monemvasia, Crete, Paros), Italy (Parma-Piacenza, Crotone, Lipari/Sicily), Croatia (Istria), Spain (Sitges), and Portugal (Madeira).

The Malvasia Festival Monemvasia will be honored by the presence of the partners of the international Malvasia Myth Network, created in Monemvasia in 2023 and now expanding further, as well as leading international wine figures, including Beth Willard, Igor Luković, Cesar Soler, and Caroline Gilby (Master of Wine, UK), who will present the Malvasia wine masterclass.

At the heart of it all lies the cultural heritage of Malvasia and the forthcoming inclusion of the “Sweet Malvasia Wine” in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. A wine that inspired poets, traveled to royal courts, and still today continues to generate new narratives through its taste.

The soundtrack of Malvasia Festival Monemvasia 2025 begins with the music performance of Sakis Papadimitriou, continues with the mystical Nama Dama and the “classic” Theseas Gousas, and culminates with Socrates Sinopoulos and his quartet. No less important, the festival also embraces wine-poetry: it invites us to seek, within the weave of poetic language, the threads set in motion by wine in both individual experience and collective life, while literary events and historic tours of the castle complete the journey.

From October 24 to 26, a rich artistic program turns the spotlight on Monemvasia, highlighting it as an international meeting point of culture, gastronomy, and history. Will you miss it?

Detailed Program & Tickets: www.malvasiafestival.gr

Organizers: Parnonas Development Organization, Municipality of Monemvasia, Region of Peloponnese, AMKE Monemvasia-Malvasia
Under the auspices & supported by: Ministry of Culture – Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage