THE PEOPLE OF CINQUE
Grigoris Prassas
Founder, Sommelier & Hospitality Entrepreneur
Greek wine, shared with curiosity and a sense of place.
Grigoris, known to many Cinque guests as Greg, brings together an entrepreneurial background and a personal passion for wine, food and hospitality. He founded Cinque to help people discover Greek wine through the stories, flavours and people behind it.
From business to hospitality
Before Cinque, Grigoris built his experience through the family business, working across retail, wholesale, imports, exports and early e-commerce. That background continues to inform his work in sales, marketing and business development.
In 2004, a business trip to Friuli in Northern Italy with his wife, Evangelia, opened a new direction: a deeper exploration of wine and the culture around the table.
The beginning of Cinque
Wine seminars, tasting courses and visits to wineries across Greece and Europe gradually became a shared family journey.
Grigoris opened the first Cinque Wine Bar in Lamia in 2012. Athens followed in 2015, Cinque Wine Delights in 2017, and later a presence in Mykonos. Each step grew from the same idea: carefully selected wines and personal, welcoming hospitality.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Wine, gastronomy & continued learning
Professional wine education and culinary curiosity shape the experiences he creates.
Wine & hospitality
Grigoris has been a member of the Association of Greek Sommeliers since 2011. His training includes wine seminars, tasting courses and Fine Service Training seminars.
He has also attended the Restaurant Management continuing education programme offered through E-Learning at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
In 2022, together with Evangelia, he earned certification in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting from Paratus Europe.
Creativity at the table
Cooking courses in molecular gastronomy and sushi, alongside specialised culinary seminars, have broadened his approach to food and wine.
At Cinque, that curiosity has inspired wine flights, live cooking moments, homemade chutneys and pasteli, wine-infused loukoumi and wine salt, as well as menus for Goût de France.
For Grigoris, knowledge becomes meaningful when it helps a guest enjoy a wine, understand a flavour or discover something they had not tried before.
Shaping the Cinque experience
Partnerships & the next chapter
His work also focuses on business development, strategic partnerships and the growth of the Cinque franchise network.
Drawing on his commercial experience, he develops relationships that bring Greek wine hospitality to new audiences while preserving the personal character of Cinque.
DISCOVER THE CINQUE APPROACH
Wine is better when it is shared
Join a tasting, discover the people behind the wines and explore Greek flavours with the Cinque team.
“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
— A principle that guides Grigoris