Visitors to the Greek island of Kefalonia during August have the choice of a number of traditional local events during their stay, with wine featuring prominently.

The inhabitants of Kefalonia are a resilient community, having overcome the difficulties of a destructive earthquake back in 1953 that damaged many homes on the island. But the tremor didn't break their spirit or grip on tradition and the islanders still organise many festivals and events throughout the year to celebrate their island. August is the month of the wine harvest and various celebrations are organised in the wine making regions of the island.

Wine making on Kefalonia can be traced back many thousands of years and there are now some well established wineries on the island. Robolo is one variety that is known all over Kefalonia and beyond. The Robola (Rombola) wine making community is based in the Omala region of the island, which is a high plateau of land at an altitude of 700 metres. The Robola Wine Cooperative dictate that only seven specific areas can make the wine, thus ensuring quality is maintained. The best known product from this winery is a dry white wine that is claimed to create hints of butter, vanilla and white rose on the palate.

This year the Rombola Wine festival will be held on the weekend of 15th August in the village of Fragata, where most of the 400 inhabitants are involved in wine making. The festival has been taking place since 1978 and hundreds of people enjoy the music, dancing, food and of course wine during the evenings.

Another wine festival is held in the village of Mantzavinata in the south west of the island. A thriving region of wine and raisin production prior to the 1953 earthquake, the area took some years to recover but now has several wineries. One is the Vitoratos winery which was established in 1993 and is open daily to visitors. The Mantzavinata wine festival takes place on 21st August.