Milia Riza is the only wine brand in Greece dedicated exclusively to the production of high-quality sparkling wines.
Founded by Nancy Mazou and Stefano Stante, Milia Riza was born from a shared vision: to create Greek sparkling wines of true international standing, rooted in place, precision, and time.
At the heart of Milia Riza are privately owned organic vineyards in Nemea, cultivated with deep respect for the land and its natural balance. All wines are produced using the traditional method, allowing patience and extended lees aging to shape complexity, finesse, and depth. This slow, demanding process reflects the founders’ belief that great sparkling wine is made as much in the vineyard as it is in the cellar.
Milia Riza focuses on Agiorgitiko, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, exploring their potential for elegance, structure, and longevity when expressed as sparkling wines. At the same time, the estate is actively experimenting with other Greek varieties, driven by a desire to redefine the identity of Greek sparkling wine and expand its possibilities beyond established norms.
Milia Riza stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation—an authentic, forward-looking expression of Greece through bubbles, crafted with clarity, ambition, and a deep sense of origin.
The first word of our name, "Milia", derives from the word "familia", which of course means family and sounds almost the same in all three languages of our heritage: Greek, Italian and Portuguese. No matter the origin, this value remains of the utmost importance. Honouring this long line of cultural heritage, both in distance and in history, "Milia" also stands for the Greek translation of "miles", which represents the distance between our countries of origin: Greece, Italy, Brazil & Portugal.
The second word of our name, "Riza" stands for those exact roots. A root will always symbolize a new beginning, a new life, something new.
The whole name stands for the combination of the above.
Our long heritage, our long roots and our belief in bringing a new kind of life to classic wine regions and grape varieties.
THE CREATORS
NANCY
MAZOU
ENOLOGIST
Born in Athens and grown up in Nemea, wine has been always in her blood and the countless hours spent listening to her grandfather, Thanasis Papaioannou, talking about vine & wine and all the aspects related to it, lit up a real passion for this world.
Nancy graduated in Enology & Beverage Technology in Athens and completed her studies with the Vinifera Euromaster which took her to Montpellier & Bordeaux, in France and then Udine, in Italy. The years spent abroad together with the accumulated experience created a great desire for this new adventure.
STEFANO
STANTE
ENOLOGIST & AGRONOMIST
Born in Lisbon, the passion for wine came late, but once this world had been discovered, he knew that he would never abandon it.
Graduated in Agronomy in Portugal, Stefano's Italian back-bone led him first to Conegliano and then to Udine, in Italy, where he completed the Master in Enology, Viticulture & Wine Marketing. After years of working as an assistant, but also head enologist for highly-reputable wineries in Portugal, Stefano, together with Nancy, decided to make a step forward and start their own challenging wine project.
