TSILILIS K.S.A. IDENTITY IN THE SHADOW OF METEORA At the foot of Meteora Rocks and around the prehistoric Cave of Theopetra, signs of human existence and evolution are found far back into Paleolithic era. Here, at the Cave of Theopetra, there were found, among other things, grape seeds which provoke change in the history of wine and prove the ancient coexistence of this place with the vine and the wine. During the Byzantine era, the sacred vine cultivation and evolution of winemaking passed into the hands of the monks of the sacred Rocks who practiced them with the same reverence as worshipping God. The mystery of Meteora passes to the wine and distillates through a particular terroir, making the region an eternal cradle of production of wines and grape distillates. Here, at Raxa Trikala, in 1989 the Tsililis distillery- winery was founded.The Tsililis family was the first to bottle tsipouro Thessaly, with the homonymous geographical indication, recognized by the European Union. Today the family continues to be a pioneer in the effort for the highting the international recognition of tsipouro, of this original Greek alcoholic drink. The continuous effort to praise the dynamics of grapes has resulted in the creation of a range of single varietal grape distillates and an aged in oak barriques tsipouro. In 1996, the Tsililis family has created the THEOPETRA ESTATE, an icon winery with organically grown vineyards, in order to highlight the particularities of the area and to revive rare Greek grape varieties. Long historical tradition and modern technology are combined harmoniously with human inspiration to perpetuate the local wine culture, with respect towards the environment (Natura 2000). During the last decade, aiming to meet the needs of Greek and international consumers with the creative vision of Tsililis distillery-winery people, new ranges of grape products are created combining traditional values with modern practices. VISION INSPIRED CREATIVITY The philosophy that characterizes the Tsililis family is the respect for the uniqueness and diversity of each region, every corner of the Greek land which has their own special treasures. Through a thorough and mysterious discovery process of our country, we envision the revival of the historic vineyard of Meteora, the qualitative development and the enhancement of local wine and distillation culture. The cultivation of the family vineyard and the management of the winery are ruled by the respect for the ecosystem of the area Antichasia- Meteora (protected area of Natura 2000). Nowadays, tsipouro and wine of Meteora have the place and the image they deserve in the Greek market. They are products of which the high quality is in absolute harmony with the rare beauty of the landscape that gave birth to them. .