Thessaly lies at the heart of continental Greece and has always been one of the country’s commercial and cultural hubs. The region’s economy is mainly based on agriculture while the majority of the farmland is dedicated to crops other than grapes, such as grain and cotton. Viticulture is not widespread because the above products are more profitable. The best vineyards grow on mountain slopes on the boundaries of the region, where the grapes are superior in quality to those growing in the heavy and rich in organic matter soils of the Thessaly plain. Water is abundant since several rivers, the most important being the Pineios, are used for irrigation and the snow in nearby mountains does not melt until late spring. High yields are not unusual in the vineyards of the Thessaly plain.
The 1980s saw a strong wind of change in wine-making philosophies. The young generation of wine growers questioned established vineyard areas, traditional varieties and cultivation techniques.