S. Rhodes Vineyards

Rhodes’ wine industry is intrinsically linked to the acronym CAIR (Compagnia Agricola Industriale Rodi), a winery established in 1928 by a group of Italian investors. This winery was responsible not only for keeping grape cultivation alive, but also for making Rhodes one of the few wine-producing areas in Greece whose vineyards expanded after World War II. The company came under the ownership of the Bodossakis Group after the Dodecanese islands became part of the Greek state in 1947. In 1957, it was sold to the Dodecanese Association of Agricultural Cooperatives.

CAIR became wildly popular as a sparkling wine producer, with its Velvet and Rosé Reserve labels constituting impressive examples of complex sparkling wines. Before Greece’s burgeoning middle class discovered imported champagnes, every bottle of CAIR was a “cause for celebration” according to an old ad, and annual sales reached 1.5 million bottles. For several years now, the company has been focusing on quality still wines as well, such as the Rodos 2400, launched in 1992 to celebrate 2,400 years since the founding of Rhodes Town.