Tina Kokkalidou      
Giannis Kokkalidis

We met Apostolos when he took over the family winery in Mantinia, as
their cork suppliers.

Through our cooperation, we got to know Apostolos as a person highly
professional and very friendly as well.

Practical and sensitive, traditional and innovative, an amazingly
inspiring man.

The wine family in Greece will miss him a lot !

May your kindness, joyfulness, and devotion carry you lightly across, my dear friend. Though our paths diverged and kept us distant, I've always treasured our common learnings in California and passion to become better in Greece. Your dignity has left an imprint on all of us who shared the gift of knowing you. May God bless you and comfort your family.  

It was the summer right before you turned 16. The two of us traveled to Portland, Oregon, to visit my brothers. It was your first trip to the US. I remember those 45 days with love. My family adored you, my sister-in-law would buy you whole buckets of your favourite Baskin Robbins ice cream. You could not get enough. I am so grateful I opened up the door to America for you. I will always have you in my mind and my heart. Your uncle, Jim.

Christina , I know this  gifted  person by all means, your amazing husband and father of your kids, is leaving behind him a legacy of love. He  will be always the ideal role model for his sons, even when not there. 
I wish you, Epaminontas and Thanos, 
Apostolis Parents and Sisters all the patience and strenth to cope with Apostolis departure.  




It was September of 2005. First day at the Executive MBA programme of the Athens University for Economics and Business. I enter the auditorium and take a seat. Then, immediately, I hear next to me "Hello! My name is Apostolis. Pleasure to meet you!" and I see Apostolis next to me with a very bright smile on his face. 
That was the first time I met Apostolis. Since then, we developed a very special and strong bond between each other, a brotherly bond, which was fortified during the recent years and during his fight. We were very close and this special bond was so strong that when he died, a part of me died with him...
I am really fortunate to have met such a kind, warm, smart, simple, loving person and he will always be remembered by me with a big warm smile. May you rest in piece my brother...

Early nineties I met Apostolos in the university.Beloved friend giving great help, especially for each one of us with origin outside Athens.Always smilling,willing to go one step ahead in his life.
I consider myself really fortunate for his precence in my life back these years and feel blessed for the time we spent together.
Although being in the States we all knew that Apostolos was always present in our thoughts and in our hearts.
And we'll keep it that way....
Sincere condolences to the family,parents and sisters.
 

About a decade ago at a Greek wine tasting in Chicago, the owner of a retail chain attending told me that the Greek winemakers seemed very serious and that I should have them smile a bit more often. There was one winemaker, though, who always stood out for his glorious smile and effusive warmth… Apostolos Spiropoulos. I was devastated to hear of his premature passing. We were friends and always kept in touch, even after he moved to Los Angeles, where he had been based for more than a decade. He was popular throughout the Greek wine sector and always a gentleman, while retaining a disarming humility that made him a great ambassador for Greek wine, internationally. Most of all though, he was just an amazing human being who will be greatly missed! My heart aches for his family in this time of sorrow and we send all our love. 


Moving like the wind into the corridors of our university with his sparkling eyes and his big smile passing us his passion for micro a that time..then a huge smile at his wedding. These are the icons stuck in my mind completed with his enormous kindness.. 
Our thoughts with Christina and the whole family.

Myrto Adamopoulou 

6 months have not passed well since I lost my brother, now I have lost a brotherly friend…
 I met you 31 years ago at the University and since then you have become a soulmate.  I do not know what to first retain in my memories of all these years.  In our student years the concerts and drinks, the nights spent in the reading room, the ski lessons you gave me, the wines and sausages with endless conversations by the fireplace in Tripoli, the relationship we built with our childhood friends, the unforgettable holidays in  Naxos, the parties at your house where I played music ... But also later the construction and operation of the winery, the new wines and how proudly you talked about them, the pride you had for your family ... But most of all  your endless and thunderous laughter… especially that I feel to hear even now as I write these words.

 I'm of the lucky ones to see you for the last time this summer.  You encouraged me for my brother that you knew well while the dishonorable cancer was kept inside you.  I admired that you stared at it for so many years and fought it like a beast.  For this mental strength you will be a model forever!  And I hope and wish with this strength that Christina, Epameinondas, Thanos, your parents and your sisters, will move forward. 

 If you see my brother up there give him a big hug and you both watch out for us.  At some point we will meet again, but until then I will miss you…

My dear friend, I will keep deep in my soul memories from our summers in Naxos, Sifnos and Amorgos and our nights in Athens. I will miss your energy, passion, kindness, spirit and smile. 
My sincere condolences and love to Christina, Epameinonda, and Thanos and to his parents and sisters. Stay strong and together.
Rest in piece Apostoli. 

We meet Apostolos and Christina during the 2nd-grade year of our kids at Sierra Canyon. Apostolos always had an infectious smile and an amazing sense of humor. So saddened by his passing, he was a kind and genuine soul that will always be remembered. God Bless his soul and give comfort to the Spiropoulous family during these trying times. He will always be watching over you guys from heaven. 
Love, 
The Absi Family 
Naji, Aida, and Anthony 

I met Apostolos in New York and Athens and was impressed with his character, his knowledge of the Greek wines and reality. 

I believed and hoped he could lead the next generations for the Greek wine evolution. A distinguished member of the Hellenic tribe.

Rest in Peace Apostole 

The news of the loss of Apostolis was devastating and hard to believe. We send our sincere condolences to his wife Christina and their sons and to his parents and sisters and we wish his family find the courage and strength to deal with such great loss. 
May he rest in peace...

I will always remember our road trips from Athens to Tripoli and our long discussions about wine, businesses, every day life, politics, plilosophy everything.... Discussing with Apostolis was every time enjoyable, as he was always able to express bright and differentiated ideas for everything.

From Yiannis Spyropoulos family in Athens (Yiannis, Mimi, Constantina, Giorgos, Monica & Yiannis junior), our deepest condolences and our love to Christina, Epaminindas, Thanos and our family in California.

Your cousin,

Giorgos Spyropoulos


I met Apostolis as my wife’s cousin and even though I didn’t get to know him very well, I’ ve always felt that we saw eye to eye about most things and I’ve always loved seeing him with his kids. It was more than obvious that they shared a special connection.

I offer my most sincere condolences to Christina, Epaminondas and Thanos and I wish that his parents and sisters find the strength to bear this devastating loss.

Rest in peace Apostoli!

Apostolis was my beloved cousin, saying goodbye to him is like saying goodbye to a part of my childhood.

He was a fighter, a realist, an immensely brave person. Above all, he was a devoted husband and father, his family was his biggest priority.

I hope Christina, Epaminondas and Thanos find solace in the knowledge that he loved them very much and that he was grateful for the wonderful life they shared.

I wish my uncle Nondas, my aunt Maria and my cousins Ntina and Nota to be strong and to honor his memory for many years to come.

My darling cousin, I love you, I will never forget you!

Apostolis was my nephew, one of the first babies that I ever held in my arms, a little angel with blond hair and sky blue eyes.

It’s so hard to come to terms with the fact that he is not here anymore.

I hope his wife and kids, his parents and his sisters find comfort in their shared happy memories, knowing that Apostolis loved them very much.

My darling boy, I hope you are in peace!

Your loving aunt,
Eleni.

Apostolis was a part of my childhood, being the brother of my best friend, Nota. His bright smile and his unique sense of humor hardly went unnoticed. I’ve just recently come across an old copy of our school newspaper, where he signed the editorial as president of his class. Even from a young age, Apostolis was a man of action who got passionate with new and innovative things, and this craving for life never left him to the very last minute. He touched the lives of everyone who crossed his path and this is how he will always be remembered. Sincere condolences to his whole family. 


       We are all so deeply sorry to hear the loss of Apostolis. We always remember his liveliness and his laugh and it is difficult to believe something like that.  We send our deepest condolences  and love to all the family. 

Saying goodbye to a dear friend is not an easy thing to do. When Petros told me the heartbreaking news ,words can't describe how sorry we felt at the loss of Apostolos.It seems like yesterday when we last got together that night in Levidi. He was so happy and carefree. He will be missed by so many!
Dear Christina,Epaninondas and Thanos, Costas and I are sending our deepest condolences. You are in our thoughts as you go through this difficult time. 


Αποστόλη,  πάντα θα θυμάμαι το γέλιο σου και την αεικίνητη μορφή σου.
Το κενό που αφήνεις μεγάλο!
Εύχομαι κουράγιο σε όλους τους συγγενείς.



I knew Apostolos from university of athens.Always a
 good partener  to study and to share your thoughts.I  was waiting this summer to get together.Now we are more lonely without your smile.All my love to your family, we will always keep you in our hearts.

Apóstole my childhood friend, my University brother, always together. We shared everything, the same car, the same drink., incredible moments, fantastic years. The blonde angel with the blue eyes and the fantastic smile. Always in my thoughts my brother, always alive!! Christina, Epaminonda, Thano my sincere condolences. Apostolis is always alive in our brain. Love!

I met Mr. Apostolis when I went for an internship at the Spyropoulos winery and I will always remember how kind he was to everyone. Always smiling and the "calm force" of the winery. 
A professional with a vision for his work.
 I feel very lucky and honored to work with him.
 My heartfelt condolences to the whole family for his loss.

It is difficult to find the right words to express my heartfelt sympathy for you great loss.
May God grant you the strength and health to remember our beloved Apostolos.
May his memory be eternal

It is hard to believe that Apostolos is not any more with us ... I have vivid memories about him: the time spent together in Davis, during the trip in lake Tahoe,  struggling to find time to meet in Greece before the return in the US, and many others.
He was enthusiastic about his life and he never gave up, even when life challenged him the first time and he won! 
Passionate as scientist and reliable as person.
He is leaving a big empty space that will be hard to fill ... 
To Christina, Epaminondas and Thanos sincere condolences 

I will never forget his kindness, his smile, his generosity, his vision... A high-skilled person and a real treasure for Greek wine. Dear Apostolos, you will always be shining among all of us....

Apostolos has been in my prayers daily for the last few years.
We will miss the beautiful human being, but God wanted him by
His side as an angel.
It is the only way Apostolos, the angel, can be in all of our hearts
and around all of us forever.

First time I met Apostolis,was at home of my best friend.He is the big brother of Dina  and she is so proud of him.Tall,long blond hair,an angel face with a kind heart,always allowed us to listen to his music and peering into his vinyl records.That's why i always remember him when i listen his favorite song at that time,"Come as you are" of Nirvana.  Rest in Peace Apostoli!

Apostolis was one of the first people in the wine business that encouraged me to excel in this sector.  We often met at wine fairs and wine shows and he always shared his knowledge and experience with me.  I always looked forward to meeting him in some corner of the world, working the wine fairs and each presenting our wines.  He was both professional and warm with the people around him.  I remember him sharing with me  his dream of moving to the USA.  This is a complete shock, he will be greatly missed!!!  His characteristic smile will never be forgotten!!  

I met Apostolos in Davis, during our graduate studies. I remember making his acquaintance September 1997 during a class on Chromatography. We got along well from the first moment and during those years he was an example to follow, a source of inspiration and of comfort in difficult moments. In his academic career he was determined and hardworking, ambitious and unpretentious. At the same time, he was full of joy and it was a real pleasure to be around him! I have very fond memories of socialising with him and other VE graduate students during those years. Be it during lunch at MU or a movie night or a weekend rafting in the Klamath river he was the heart of the group! 
After graduate school, he returned to Greece with Christina and I moved to Italy with Luca. The four of us would get together: in Greece, Italy or California we would always try to meet and spent quality time together. 
When he had to face the greatest challenge of all, he did it courageously and with the determination that characterized him, without losing his positive spirit that was contagious. It is so hard to accept that he is not with us anymore. 
He was a loving, caring and devoted husband. With Christina they grew a beautiful family that has always been an undisputed priority. 
He was a very proud father, eager to share with us the achievements of his sons! To Epaminondas and Thanos he is leaving a legacy of excellence. 
Cristina, Epaminondas, Thanos. My thoughts are with you in this heart breaking moment. 
To his parents, sisters and friends. May his spirit be always present. 
My deepest sympathies.
I will miss you my friend. 

With Apostolis, we grew together in the wine business. He was rising in the family company and i was in a distribution company. We use to talk a lot about the wine market as he wanted to learn what customers likes . I will never forget his kindness and his endless search for a better result in life and winemaking.

Please accept my deepest condolences. My  prayers are with your family during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

Last Friday I found out that I lost one of my dearest cousin, who has been fighting cancer for a long time, in such an incredibly brave way. I feel so so sad for his entire family, you have my absolute deepest sympathy.  Rest in Peace, Apostolis

Until we meet again

The Papanicolaou family extends their deepest sympathies to Christina Epaminonda and Thanos to the loss of their father, partner and best friend. 
There are no words that will make sense today and make anything easier but I wish that the memories you carry with you for your time together will carry you for a lifetime. 

I will never forget your smile when we  tasted  together for the first time your  brand new Astala. Rest in peace Apostole…….

Apostolos had that rare ability to see both the forest and the trees. As a graduate student in my laboratory, he easily saw the “big picture” of his research but simultaneously new what steps had to be taken in his research. He loved an intellectual challenge – I could just assign him something to do whether it be in his teaching or research assistant role and was confident it would be done better than I could have done it myself.  He was so happy when he and Christina got engaged – matched in joy only by the birth of his sons. See you on the other side, my friend. 

Both Rama and I are in complete shock and saddened by Apostolos's untimely demise. Please accept our heartfelt condolences and lots of love and hugs to you and the boys, Cristina. Apostolos was a bubbly person and very passionate about everything he did. We had great times in the Bisson lab at UC Davis as fellow PhD students whether it was talking science, culture, food, our hair lengths, fellow Libran traits or any topic. I will always remember his smile and vivacious personality. Our prayers are with you and family during this difficult time. 🙏
Love,
Vidhya.

I audited the Wine Production course at UC Davis when Apostolos was a TA. I learned so much from him.  I will always remember my first encounter with a "mousy" wine and his priceless reaction. It still makes me laugh. My sincere condolences to the Spiropoulos family for such a devastating loss.

OBITUARY

Apostolos Spiropoulos

October 5, 1972 – November 5, 2021

Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park, Mortuary & Crematory

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