The 250 private acres of Karamoor Estate have been involved in farming in some form or fashion since the days of William Penn. Owners Nick & Athena Karabots decided that they they wanted to keep with the traditions of the land, and with their joy and passion of wine made the leap to transform their land here into beautiful vineyards. Nick & Athena enjoy elegant, Bordeaux-style wines and their intention was, and continues to be, producing these types of wines in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. The Karabots took their Greek heritage and name and combined it with the original “Oxmoor Estate” to create “Karamoor Estate”, which loosely translated in a form from Greek means “my happiness”.
The Karabotses started the project in 2003. The first planting of the initial 12 acres was in 2004 with an additional 5 planted in 2008. Knowing that they wanted to mirror European style wines, they chose to plant only vinifera clones of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Verdot. With the expertise of world-renown viticulturist and consultant, Lucie Morton, the best varietal was matched to the rootstock and selected to each site to ensure that the resulting wine would be world-class exceptional.
Once the vineyard was planted, the next logical step was to build a state-of-the-art winery. The winery saw completion in fall of 2011, and around that same time winemaker Kevin Robinson, previously of Rutherford Hill & Brassfield Estate Wineries in California, came on board to execute the Karabots’ vision.
The vineyard will see a 10 acre expansion in the spring of 2013 with some additional varietals to enhance Karamoor Estate Wine's current portfolio. Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio and additional acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot will be added as well.
The dedication and care invested in the vineyard has resulted in the realization of the Karabots' dream. The release of the 2008 vintage has been accepted with open arms in the Pennsylvania wine community. As a first vintage; these wines have already garnered numerous awards at commercial wine competitions and recognition by press all over the state.
