After the second half of the 19th century, the town of Naoussa prospered, with particularly great growth in industry including textiles and trade. The wealth accrued is evident in its mansions—the pride and joy of the city.
Naoussa’s picturesque history is well-preserved in its historic mansions with their characterstic tiled roofs and its people who revive the “Genitsari and Boules” tradition by dancing through the towns narrow alleyways during Carnival. These images coexist harmoniously with Naoussa’s more modern elements including the vineyards developed in the surrounding plains and on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Vermion.
This is an area dominated by Xinomavro, or “Naoussa black grape”, the noble red grape variety from Northern Greece which produces robust, full-bodied wines. The love of the Naoussa producers for their wine has not dwindled, even after the complete destruction of the vineyards from phylloxera in the 1930s. At the end of the 1960s, the region’s vineyards were replanted with more resilient vines. In the early 1970s, a new life-giving wind blew over the Naoussa vineyard and new vines were planted in lines, cultivation was improved, and modern facilities were built with current winemaking technology.