Allwinestories has the distinct pleasure of hosting Christina Chrysanthopoulou, the visionary behind and creator of Terraampeli, a unique project that highlights the art and tradition of the vineyard through a contemporary creative approach.

Can a chance encounter with the root of a vine awaken deep emotions?

Terraampeli was born in an unexpected way, as most things in life do. A trip to Crete brought me into contact, after many years, with the vineyard, wine, its production, the stages from the field to the glass, and, most importantly, a deeper, conscious acquaintance with the root of the vine. With this twisted miracle, while we wander on the surface, it twists in the depths of the earth, producing a work that I bowed down to, without really knowing why it caused such an explosion of emotion in me at that moment. And I rushed to collect as many pieces of it as I could find in the vineyard next to the house where I was staying, without any specific goal in mind.

How can nostalgia and memory be transformed into creative action and handmade art?

In retrospect, I realized that seeing it awakened childhood memories of moments spent with my father in another wine-producing village in Ilia, where I come from. Our family once owned a vineyard, like most of the people in the area, which provided us with the year's respectable wine and all the joys that its journey from the field to our doorstep brought to our hearts. Underneath our house, we kept a barrel of our own wine in a special cool and shady place, a somewhat secret and otherworldly spot, perhaps even a little scary in my childish eyes. Our vineyard was sold when I was too young to understand, and it passed from our ownership, along with the myriads of tearful memories, into other hands. Perhaps it was nostalgia that first put the idea in my mind and then in my hands to give these captivating pieces of root a second life. I washed them in the trough with running water, dried them first in the sunlight and then slowly and leisurely on the wood stove, then cut them into pieces, smoothed them with sandpaper, polished them, and began to transform them into jewelry, adding, in addition to tons of love and care, semi-precious stones or simple beads. All this took place in Crete, where I spent a large part of my life at the time, so I initially named the experiment Cretanlandspirit.

Working with vines as a source of comfort and meaning during times of personal change?

The cycle of the vineyard was once complete, but the journey continued, and indeed, it led to an even deeper acquaintance with the vineyard. I sought atonement for our lost little vineyard, but also a counterbalance for all the intermediate personal losses, in larger sections of the vine that I began to transform, following more or less the previous process, into lighting and decorative elements. Pieces of vine that I collected and continue to collect from trips to wine-producing regions of the country. In the meantime, my daughter left to study, the house felt somewhat empty, and this whole endeavor came to fill a void in a creative and generous way, bringing back joy, pride, and meaning to life in a way.

Do you believe that a simple piece of wood, a root, an old barrel that has been given new life can connect us with nature and tradition?

Somewhere along the way, because that's how I experience it, I came across some discarded barrels, which I cut up, sanded, painted, decorated, and turned into coat hangers. Pebbles and shells, stones and driftwood were added, giving me a sense of richness, companionship, but also responsibility. The journey continues for Terraampeli, in a somewhat more extroverted form, hence the present, honorary hospitality at Allwinestories, behind which lies a similar human longing. To connect with nature and bow down to the vine. That humble "creature" that continues, for centuries now, to toil, from one end of Greece to the other, silently and uncomplainingly doing its work out there, in small villages and towns, in small fields and vast expanses, in the harsh but hospitable soil, among the stones, on mountains and roots, on inaccessible hills and rough patches of land, so that we can say: To our health!

A few words about the author Christina Chrysanthopoulou.

She was born in Athens and studied education and journalism at the University of Athens and in London. She considers creativity to be a balm and a way of life. She has published a collection of short stories entitled "Lost Squares" and a novel entitled "Life with Omicron." She works as Editor-in-Chief at clickatlife of Naftemporiki, while also editing and presenting the program Travel Times on the Group's television channel.

 Browse Terraampeli and admire Christina Chrysanthopoulou's creations here: Christina Chrysanthopoulou (@terraampeli) • Photos and videos on Instagram

Author Marinos Skolarikos December 11, 2025