Greek City Times
The death of Vassilis Kourtakis, president of the company “Hellenic Wine Cellars” was announced by the Hellenic Wine Association.
As it stated in a relevant announcement, with great sadness, the Hellenic Wine Association was informed that ασ οφ Sunday morning Vassilis Kourtakis is no longer with us.
Α leading and diverse personality of Greek Wine, the deceased made a decisive contribution to pave the way for bottled wine in Greece in the 60’s, returning from France after studying oenology and taking over the family winery in Attica, which today is “Greek Wine Cellars ” one of the largest wineries in the country.
Intelligent and creative, with a deep knowledge of the geography of Greek and global vineyards, he was one of the main founders of the Hellenic Wine Association, its president for twelve years, and later honorary president. Armed with his training in wine legislation, he starred in the institutional shielding of Greek wine and equipped the Association with organizational structures that brought great results and promoted new executives. At the same time he participated in the founding Board of Directors of the National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine (E.D.O.A.O.).
In addition, his constant monitoring of European wine developments led him to make a decisive contribution to the establishment of the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (C.E.E.V.), a prestigious organization and therefore a key interlocutor of EU institutions. He was even president of the C.E.E.V. for eight years before being proclaimed its honorary president.
Vassilis Kourtakis dedicated to Greek Wine unlimited working time, communicating with people in the sector, with constant travels in Greece and Europe.
The Association expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of a man who contributed decisively to the development of both Greek wine and the national and European institutional status of the wine industry.