Family Is Not Always Born. Sometimes It Lands.

On December 17, 2025, Cinque Wine & Deli did not simply host a retirement celebration.

It welcomed home one of its own.

Captain David Dodds is not just a pilot who visited Cinque.
He is part of the Cinque family.

Long before the rankings, before the international recognition, before Cinque became a known stop for pilots landing in Athens — David was already there.

He sat at the bar when the space was still young.
He listened to the stories.
He returned.

Again and again.

The First Glass with a Name

David was the first pilot to have a wine glass engraved with his name at Cinque.

Not as decoration.
Not as promotion.

As belonging.

That glass meant something simple and powerful:

When you land in Athens, this is your home.

Over time, other pilots followed. Word traveled from cockpit to cockpit. Layover after layover, Cinque quietly became the favorite stop for pilots in Athens.

But David was among the first.

He opened the route.

A Tradition in the Sky

Today, Cinque is known among many airline crews as the place to go after landing in Athens.

Pilots choose it because it offers something rare in their profession:

Consistency.
Warmth.
Recognition.
A table that waits.

After long-haul flights, after responsibility, after silence in the cockpit — they find conversation, wine and familiarity.

Cinque became a steady ground for people who live above the clouds.

And David was one of the pilots who built that tradition from the beginning.

A Retirement That Felt Personal

That December night was not just a farewell to aviation.

It was the closing of a shared chapter.

David gathered his family and fellow pilots at Cinque to celebrate his retirement — the final landing of a remarkable career.

But for us, it was something even more personal.

We were not hosting a customer.
We were honoring family.

Evangelie and Greg did what they have always done: they welcomed him with open arms. The same arms that greeted him years ago when everything was just beginning.

Stories were retold.
Laughter filled the space.
Glasses were raised.

And the engraved glass returned to his hand one more time.

More Than a Wine Bar

For many pilots, Cinque is their Athens tradition.

For David, Cinque became part of his life journey.

He trusted us in the early days.
He supported us when we were still building.
He believed in the experience before it became recognized.

Because of people like him, Cinque grew not only in reputation — but in depth.

International recognition came later.

Family came first.

To the Captain Who Led the Way

David, you did not just visit Cinque.

You opened the door for others.
You helped create a tradition among pilots that continues today.
You became part of our story.

And no retirement can change that.

The sky may no longer be your workplace.
But this table will always be yours.

Yamas, Captain.

“Some pilots leave routes behind.

Some leave traditions.”