Theotoky Estate

About Winery and Wines

The Theotoky family is one of the oldest families in Greece and the Estate has been in the Theotoky family for generations. John Theotoky, father of the current owner, George Theotoky, studied at the famous Universität für Bodenkultur (University for Agriculture) in Vienna and was deeply attached to the land. John devoted himself to politics after the tragic death of his brother who, as Minister of War, was executed in 1922 by the opposition, after the loss of the Asia Minor Campaign. He served three times as Minister of Agriculture and in 1950 (as his father had been before him) became Prime Minister of Greece. The Theotokis family are an old landowning family in Corfu Island, Greece, several members of which have been prominent politicians. They originally hailed from Constantinople, whence they fled following its fall to the Ottomans, eventually settling in Corfu. The painter El Greco (Domenico Theotokopoulos) was descended from a branch of the same family that fled to Crete. The Corfiote branch was ennobled by the Republic of Venice and was entered in the Libro d'Oro; they used to be commonly referred to as Counts (Cónte), but their titles lapsed when the Ionian islands became part of the Kingdom of Greece, which did not recognise noble titles. The various branches are: The Calocardári, the Sclebúni, the Statháchi, the Sammárco, the Andrucélli, and the D'Aviázzo. The latter developed a tradition of public service and were further nicknamed the Politikoí (Politicians).