Nightcap 11: Blackthorn by the Glass: 2022 Karanika Extra Brut

There are love stories — and then there are wine love stories.
This one starts not in a vineyard, but in a publishing office in the Netherlands.

Laurens M. Hartman-Karanika and Annette van Kampen were both editors by trade — two bookish dreamers living a very un-wine-related life. But in 2004, they decided to trade manuscripts for mountains, deadlines for dirt, and start a new chapter entirely: building a sparkling wine domaine in Greece.

They trained in winemaking and viticulture across Europe and the U.S., searching for a place that could hold both their roots and their restless creativity. Australia was too far. Germany too cold. And then they found Amyndeon.

The Land of the North Wind

Amyndeon (sometimes spelled Amyntaio) lies in the highlands of Macedonia — the northernmost, coolest winegrowing region in Greece. The name comes from Amyntas, grandfather of Alexander the Great, and the terrain is just as grand: lakes reflecting snow-capped peaks, crisp air, and an altitude that gives grapes both sun and restraint.

It’s here that Laurens and Annette discovered the grape that would define their life’s work: Xinomavro (ksee-no-MAH-vro).

An ancient Macedonian variety, Xinomavro is Greece’s answer to Nebbiolo — high in tannin, high in acid, capable of aging for decades. The name itself means “acid-black,” which tells you everything you need to know about its intensity. It’s the kind of grape that doesn’t compromise, that demands patience and rewards it with haunting depth — flavors of strawberry, prune, sun-dried tomato, and something darker and wilder underneath.

But while Xinomavro is best known for powerful reds, Domaine Karanika saw its sparkling potential.

Building Bubbles from the Ground Up

After falling in love with Champagne, the couple decided to craft traditional-method sparkling wines — not copies, but something distinctly Greek. The key was Amyndeon’s cool climate and Xinomavro’s razor-sharp acidity, both perfect for sparkling wine production.

Their 2022 Extra Brut Cuvée Spéciale blends 90% Xinomavro with 10% Assyrtiko — another Greek powerhouse grape, known for its saline minerality and ability to retain freshness in even the hottest climates. Together, they make a blend that’s both taut and textured, like silk over steel.

The base wine is 100% free-run juice — the purest expression of the grapes — fermented in stainless steel, aged four months, then bottled for its secondary fermentation. It rests on its lees for twelve months before disgorgement, developing those fine, persistent bubbles that dance more than they fizz.

In the glass, it’s elegant and restrained:
Aromas of lime, bruised apple, and citrus, with a whisper of rose and sea salt.
Flavors of fresh strawberry and walnut peel, carried by crisp, bracing acidity.
Texture that feels both creamy and crystalline, finishing long and complex.

This is Greece’s cool, confident answer to Champagne — but with a wild heart.

The Grape Behind the Glass

To understand why this wine feels so alive, you have to understand Xinomavro itself.
It’s a variety that refuses to be tamed. Structurally, it’s one of the biggest red wines in the Mediterranean, but when handled gently — when allowed to show its more ethereal side — it can also produce rosés and sparkling wines with surprising delicacy.

Naoussa remains Xinomavro’s spiritual home, where the wines must be 100% varietal and can age for decades. In Rapsani, it’s blended with Stavroto and Krassato at the foothills of Mount Olympus. And in Amyndeon — the northern outpost where Domaine Karanika thrives — it reveals its most elegant face.

Some compare it to Barolo. Others call it “the soul of Greece in a bottle.”
Either way, Xinomavro is not a grape that panders. It commands attention — whether in a deep, savory red or a glimmering glass of Extra Brut.

How to Drink It

Pair this wine with Greek flavors that echo its origins:
veal stifatho with onions, lamb with walnuts and pine nuts, or even something as simple as grilled halloumi with lemon and herbs.
Or pour it as an aperitif, something crisp, cerebral, and quietly romantic.

Because that’s what Karanika is: a love story told in bubbles. A reminder that sometimes the best wines — and the best lives — are born when you leave the script behind and start something entirely new.

Listen to the full episode of Blackthorn by the Glass: Karanika 2022 Extra Brut wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you want to try it for yourself you can find this bottle in our cellar — or maybe even tucked into an upcoming Ritual Box.