Artisanal wines, lovely terraces, amazing Greek Food and even Greek beers… Your Ultimate Guide to Santorini Wineries and the best wine tours is here! It is not a secret that the island has some of the world’s most amazing wineries and wine tours. Santorini wines are amazing! Wine production on the island dates back to ancient times, and the famous “Assyrtiko” variety of Santorini is famous worldwide.
The thing with Santorini’s vineyards is that the amazing indigenous varieties, the island’s unique ecosystem, the volcanic soil, strong winds, rare rainfalls, and the hot and dry summers result in wines of a uniquely intense and complex character with high gastronomic value.
You will love wine tasting in Santorini, and there is a high chance this will be the highlight of your trip! It is also one of the best things couples can do in Santorini.
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The Best Santorini Wineries are:
- SantowinesWinery
- Venetsanos Winery
- Estate Argyros Winery
- Domaine Sigalas Winery
- Koutsoyannopoulos Winery & Wine Museum
- Gavalas Winery
- Boutari Winery
- Hatzidakis Winery
- Artemis Karamolegos Winery
- Vassaltis Winery
- Art Space Winery
- Canava Roussos Winery
- Gaia Winery
- Santorini Brewing Company
- Volkan Brewery
VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW
- Most famous Santorini Winery:Santowines Winery (visit this one if you don’t have much time on the island).
- Visiting one of the Santorini Wineries and having a wine tasting session in Santorini is one of the best things you can do on the island.
- You can visit the wineries by yourself or book an organized tour that will take you through several on the island; you will have a dedicated guide who will explain more about the history of wine making on the island. If you want to visit alone, don’t drink and drive.
- Area with the most wineries: around Pyrgos and Emporeio village (these areas don’t have views of the famous caldera, and most of the wineries are hidden within the lovely vineyards.
- Best Wine Varieties in Santorini:Assyrtiko (white), Mavrotragano (red), and the traditional and sweet Vinsanto wine.
- You can either visit the Santorini wineries by yourself or book an organised wine tour (see the best wine tours at the bottom of this post), which is a van that takes you to several wineries for several hours
- All the Santorini wineries offer a large or small selection of Greek meze (nibbles) or even a proper dinner or lunch
- There are only two wineries with great views of the caldera and the volcano: Santowines and Venetsanos wineries.
- Koutsoyannopoulos Winery is also the famous Santorini Wine Museum, which offers a dedicated tour that shows how wine has been made in Santorini since ancient times.
- Also, check the amazing Paros Wineries.
1. Santowines Winery
SantoWines was founded in 1947 as the Union of Santorini Cooperatives. Today, it consists of the island’s largest winery, representing all the cultivators and counting 1.200 active members. There is an enormous terrace on different levels with one of the most amazing views of the caldera and the volcano.
Finding a table to sit is relatively easy (unless it’s August and sunset time…or there is a massive cruise ship that has just arrived in Santorini…but even so you should be able to find a table as the place is massive!) and you can even order coffee or just Greek meze and nibbles. You can select different wine tasting “experiences” where a waiter or wine-specialist will explain to you the different aromas, tastes, and varieties like: Assyritko, Nykteri, or Vinsanto (this is more like a liquor…very sweet but yummy!).
You can have 3, 6, or even 12 glasses of wine! There is no way you get out of this place sober…that’s for sure!! The whole experience will be even better if you visit the amazing Deli shop in the winery, with plenty of local produce and a large wine selection (from the ones you just tasted before). SantoWines winery is between Fira and Pyrgos on your right side (going from Fira to Pyrgos village). It is closer to Pyrgos village, though. Plenty of parking is available, but you can even take a taxi or a local bus from Fira or elsewhere.If it is August and sunset time, you probably need to call them and book a table in advance. This is especially true if you are planning to visit around sunset time because it can get pretty busy at that time.
Also, bear in mind that during summer, many weddings take place on their terrace, and some part of it might be privately reserved. You can contact them in advance to check.
2. Venetsanos Winery
You can learn a lot about the winery’s innovative production methods. The most distinguished feature of the winery is its architectural design, which essentially used gravity, facilitating energy efficiency at a time when access to electricity and other energy sources was very limited.
The winery was built unconventionally, constructed from above and moving downwards. That’s the reason behind all these stairs and different levels of the structure! The winery is located just above Athinios port (where all the ferries from Athens depart) and in a quiet and unique location overlooking (obviously…) the caldera and the volcano.
You are still getting an amazing terrace where you can sit and taste the Venetsanos wines selection (Nykteri, Assyrtiko, Mandilaria, Anaggalis, Liasto) along with some yummy Greek nibbles (mostly locally produced). Venetsanos Winery is an amazing winery (and possibly less touristy than SantoWines).Everything is on a smaller scale, and that’s not a bad thing… Venetsanos winery is 15 minutes walking distance from the SantoWines winery and just outside of Megalochori village on your right hand as you drive on the Fira-Perissa main road. You won’t have any parking issues.
However, do expect the winery to be busier than usual in August (around sunset time…). You can contact them in advance to ensure you get a table, but you can even book your table or tour through their website.
3. Estate Argyros Winery
Indeed, you won’t find any bells and whistles in this one. No amazing views and fancy decorations. Just amazing wines and a team of very passionate and friendly people who run it. But…it is a lovely family business producing Santorini local wines since 1903.
It is now the 4th generation of the Argyros family running the winery, and the winery is located inside the characteristic circular vineyards of Santorini. Winetasting is free, and the people who run the place are helpful and keen to explain all the different varieties of the multi-award-winning Estate Argyros Wines.
People say that Argyros Estate Winery is a winery for real wine lovers…not a tourist attraction with “instagrammable” views (…and that is probably true). At Estate Argyros winery, you will mainly taste the great white and rosé wine varieties, such as Assyrtiko (you have to try Argyros Assyrtiko…seriously…), but there are some great reds as well, such as the unique Mavrotragano variety.
You can even visit the cute vineyards behind the winery and see with your own eyes how they are shaped circularly to protect them from the strong Santorini winds. Estate Argyros winery is a 5-minute drive from Pyrgos village.You just have to contact them and book your visit. In the less busy months (every other month apart from July and August), you can just show up, and the people of the winery will be happy to offer you the wine tour and wine tasting experience. You won’t be disappointed with this one…
Just remember that Argyros Estate has been included in the Top 100 Wineries of the world for many years. Argyros Estate Winery is Santorini wine at its best!
4. Domaine Sigalas Winery
Domaine Sigalas is one of the wineries closest to Oia (check hotels and villas in Oia), and it’s a quite new addition to the Santorini Wineries map as it was founded in 1991 by the Sigalas family. There are many good reasons to visit this winery, and the amazing romantic terrace in the middle of the vineyards is only one.
You won’t be disappointed with the great selection of Sigalas wines. You could taste more than 10 wines: different varieties of the famous Assyrtiko Santorini wine and a few reds such as “Mavrotragano” or “Mandilaria”.
You’ll also get amazing food as their kitchen offers some amazing Greek meze/nibbles and lunch/dinner plates using seasonal local produce! And everything is super yummy…trust me! Seriously…the Chef who works there is not playing around…! At Domain Sigalas, you can book your wine tasting experience from their website.
Domaine Sigalas is also available for weddings, and it has a lovely shop where you can buy Sigalas-label wines. Domaine Sigalas winery is 5 5-minute drive from Oia, but you can even hike/walk from Oia to visit it as it’s only about 3km away in the small valley behind Oia. This winery is not only for wine lovers but for some serious foodies as well, and it has quickly become one of the most loved wineries and most recognisable labels of the island.5. Koutsoyannopoulos Winery and Wine Museum
The Koutsoyannopoulos family has created a little gem here by opening this little museum and putting so much effort into making the whole tour as visual as possible. The museum building is in an underground cave, making the experience even more exciting. Please understand me: this is a real museum and a winery!
So, you’ll get a proper audio guide to guide you through the different stages of wine production and the lives of the old Santorini wine makers. In reality, you are walking through the nicely lit (and medieval-looking) catacombs where you are being educated on the whole process and history of wine making in Santorini. The whole experience is something you would expect to see at a Disney Theme Park (though on a smaller scale, to be honest…) and it’s super educational.
But Koutsoyannopoulos is still a winery, so you’d expect to find some really good wine to taste at the end of your tour, which costs 9 euros (including entrance to the museum/1-hour audio tour, car parking, and wine tasting of 4 different wines).The wine tasting comes at the end of the tour, where you visit the wine tasting area and the winery’s shop to buy their wines. Santorini Wine Museumis very close to Santorini Airport, and you will see it on the main road towards the famous Kamari Beach. The whole experience is unique, and it’s actually very good value for money. You will learn about wine production and history while drinking amazing local wine!
6. Gavalas Winery
“Katsano” is an exquisite wine resulting from George Gavalas’ love and devotion to wine-making and his continuous effort to revive the rare, indigenous grape varieties of Santorini. It is a blend of 85% Katsano and 15% Gaidouria, both grape varieties little known outside the island, as they only cover 1% of the total vineyard of the winery. No fancy terraces here. Just pure love and passion for winemaking and a small patio with a few tables.
What is more exciting though, is that if you visit the winery during the harvest season (which is very likely as it is in August-September…) there is a very high possibility of you re-living the ultimate 5000 year old experience of…foot crushing of the grapes as it was done thousands of years ago. Gavalas Wineryis in one of the island’s most picturesque villages: Megalochori, very close to the center of the village (in case you are lost, just ask anybody at the village and they’d be able to tell you).
You can’t go wrong with Gavalas Winery… It’s a little gem that was even discovered by CNN in 2010! Its wines are exported annually to some of the most famous restaurants in the US and Europe, and you’ll meet some of the friendliest, kindest, and passionate wine makers on the island.7. Boutari Winery
The winery has a very nice auditorium, a tasting room with a small terrace, and a very nice shop where you can find all the Boutari Wines from all over Greece. You can have a simple wine tasting experience at the bar or the tables of the tasting area at any time between April and October (high season). There are also organised tours of the winery and the production that must be booked in advance.
Boutari Wineryis close to Megalochori, on your right as you go towards Perissa/Perivolos from Fira. It is run by one of the most famous Greek Wine Producers, and that speaks for itself. There is a very large variety of Greek wines that you can try, not only from Santorini but from all over Greece. It’s worth a visit!
8. Hatzidakis Winery
Hatzidakis Winery is again one of those wineries run by a passionate family under the legacy of the late Haridimos Hatzidakis. But with one slight difference: this wine is 100% organic! Haridimos Hatzidakis was the enthusiastic oenologist from Crete who renovated this old Santorini cave in 1996 and made his wine one of the rarest and most famous wines of Santorini in less than 20 years!
The first bottles of this winery came out in 1999, and today Hadjidakis Wines are sold worldwide, making even The Guardian write epic articles like this. Unfortunately, Haridimos Hatzidakis suddenly passed away in 2017, but his widow and their daughters vowed to continue his work. Make no mistake…you won’t see fancy tourist tasting areas and stunning views.
You will do the wine tasting, possibly in the underground storage areas, with some family members, but the wine…will send you to heaven! The winery produces 2 main varieties of organic wines: Assyrtiko and Aidani, but also a few reds such as Mavrotragano and Voudomato (all Cyclades varieties). Hatzidakis Winery is outside of Pyrgos village.
Many people often say this is probably the best wine of Santorini and possibly one of the best Greek wines ever made. I’ll leave that to you to judge…but don’t leave the winery if you don’t try (or buy) the amazing organic wine “Assyrtiko de Louros”... (you can thank me later)!9. Artemis Karamolegos Winery
The winery produces about 250.000 bottles of 10 different varieties of wines, such as Assyrtiko, Nykteri, Aidani, Vinsanto, and Mavrotragano. The thing with this winery is that it’s not just a winery. You will have the Greek meze and nibbles for your wine tasting experience/tour, but the real deal is that there is also an amazing restaurant in the winery called “Aroma Avlis” that opened in 2014! This is not a wine tasting area. This is a complete restaurant where you can experience amazing Greek dishes with the best local produce and the winery’s wines.
“Aroma Avlis” Restaurant has an amazing garden and a lovely terrace with the most gorgeous views of the Monolithos beach (you can even see the island of Anafi there when the skies are clear!). The Winery is open from February to November, and the Wine Tasting Tour includes a visit to the winery facilities, Greek nibbles, and wine tasting of 4-6 of the winery’s labels.
The visit costs about $10 and an oenologist will guide you. There is also a cute little shop where you can buy…(what else?) the winery’s amazing wines.10. Canava Roussos Winery
However, your wine tasting experience won’t stop there because the lovely owners will guide you through the whole wine-making process and share the secrets of the family’s traditions. At the lovely terrace, you can taste the Roussos wines and some nibbles and Greek meze that will accompany the wines in the best possible combinations.
The winery produces various Santorinian wines such as Athiri, Mavrathiro, Assyrtiko, Mantilaria, and Vinsanto. Canava Roussos Winery is at Episkopi and it’s basically at your right hand when you go from Pyrgos to Kamari Beach. This is the oldest winery of Santorini and the one that started wine production on the island in the 1800s. You should try the amazing blended red Nama, first bottled in 1974.
11. Art Space Winery
This is possibly the most unique winery of Santorini because…it’s not just a winery! It’s an amazing contemporary art gallery in the Argyros family’s old “yposkafo” house. Back in the 90s, the whole place was renovated and redecorated to become not only an excellent winery but one of the most impressive Art galleries of Greece.
The Argyros family started wine production in this traditional “canava” (aka the old labyrinth-style Santorini houses) in 1861, and now it’s transformed into an amazing winery/art gallery. Make no mistake: this is a unique art gallery that has already housed more than 200 photo, painting, and sculpture exhibitions of artists worldwide.
The Art Space Winery has been featured in the Saatchi Galleries, the Los Angeles Times, and even The Guardian. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to wander through the traditional cave house and take a glimpse of amazing contemporary art.
Mr. Argyros (the owner) is a very passionate and knowledgeable man. He will explain the different varieties of wines and also introduce you to the history of the Art Space and the artists who have been exhibited there. But this is not just a unique art gallery. It’s mainly a small production winery that also produces artisanal local wines and has a lovely wine-tasting area where you can taste them.There is also a small area called “The Museum,” a small exhibition of old tools and machinery used in the winery back in the old days. Art Space Winery is at Ekso Gonia and very close to the previous wineries on your right hand as you go from Pyrgos to Kamari Beach. This is one of the most unique places on the island and one of the most amazing art galleries in Greece! You don’t get the opportunity to glimpse into amazing contemporary art while you taste artisanal Greek wine, every day…
12. Gaia Winery
Make no mistake: these are some of the most awarded and well-known Santorini wines. Gaia Winery will allow you to taste these amazing wines sitting on a lovely patio on the beach, just a few meters away from the sea, close to Kamari beach.
The friendly and very helpful staff will guide you through the wine tasting experience, and the whole experience is extremely calm and relaxing. Of course, there is no shortage of Greek mezze and nibbles here, and you can even have a full meal by the beach.
Back in 2010, 450 bottles of “Thalassitis” Assyrtiko of 2009 were submerged 18m under the sea in Santorini’s unique blue waters. The idea behind that experiment was to see how these amazing white wines age when deprived of oxygen uptake (a method also used in the USA, Spain, and Italy).Unfortunately, because of terrible storms and bad weather, only three of the 450 original submerged bottles survived. One of them was opened, and then…heaven!! It was one of the best aged Assyrtiko wines that has ever been produced, with such a unique and multidimensional taste that Ioannis Paraskevopoulos and his team from Gaia Wines repeated the experiment.
They decided to plan and prepare the whole experiment and submerge a few bottles of the Thalassitis wine production every year under water (aged for 5 years) and sell those bottles at an auction every year. Gaia Wineryis very close to the Santorini airport (don’t worry…planes won’t ruin your experience) and is located at an old tomato processing factory.
People say that this is possibly the best wine tasting area of the island, and there is a very good reason for that. Not to mention the incredible Thalssitis Assyrtiko wine.One of the most unique and flavoursome white wines of the island. Don’t leave the winery without buying a few bottles. You will regret it… (Or if you can afford it, try the submerged Thalassitis!)
13. Vassaltis Winery
The people at Vassaltis Winery will guide you through the wine-making process, and you will wander through the fantastic building and wine-making facilities. There is no shortage of Greek mezze and nibbles during the wine tasting experience with the freshly produced Vassaltis Assyrtiko or Aidani. The friendly and knowledgeable guys and the owner, Yannis Valambous of Vassaltis Winery, will make this a memorable experience (Yannis himself has an excellent story about how he got the idea to start the winery).
Vassaltis Wineryis at your right hand, going from Fira to Vourvoulos. It’s actually after Vourvoulos goes towards Koloumbos beach. This is the newest Santorini Winery.
People say it’s the next big thing on the Santorini winery map, and there are many reasons to say that: friendly owners, knowledgeable staff, unique architecture, awesome wine, and a very extroverted concept. This is a real Santorini new gem, and you’ll make a huge mistake if you don’t visit it.14. Santorini Brewing Company
The story of this little independent artisan brewery sounds like a cheesy joke as it was opened by a Greek oenologist, a Serbian brewer, an English brewing enthusiast, and an American who decided to start their own business in the middle of the Greek financial crisis a few years ago. The experiment can now be considered 100% successful, and the Donkey Beer has traveled worldwide. The brewing process is relatively simple, with hops worldwide (such as New Zealand, Slovenia, or Oregon). The residual spent grain benefits local vineyards as nutritious compost!
The brewery produces only three labels of beers, including the only Greek India Pale Ale (IPA): Yellow Donkey, Red Donkey, and Crazy Donkey. These are all unfiltered beers with a surprisingly fresh taste and a vivid personality. But what are they? The owners are calling their beers “Lagered Ales” …!
There is also a very cool little souvenir shop where you can buy Crazy Donkey merchandise, and you don’t have to pay anything as the entrance is free. Santorini Brewing Companyis on your right hand as you go to Kamari Beach, and it’s pretty close to some of the famous wineries on this list. There has been a worldwide sensation with artisan breweries in recent years, and if you want to try a unique craft beer, you can’t miss this one out.15. Volkan Brewery & Volkan Cafe on the Rocks
You cannot visit the Volkan brewery, but you can visit their amazing restaurant/cafe/bar at Fira, Volkan Cafe on the Rocks. It is in a quiet and non-touristy location at the edge of Fira, with an amazing terrace overlooking the volcano and the caldera.
You can have a complete lunch/dinner at the lovely cafe while trying the craft Volkan Beers selection. Volkan Brewery produces four beers: Santorini Blonde, Santorini Black, Santorini Grey, and Santorini White. They all combine flavours from the lava-filtered mineral water, local Santorini honey, and citrus leaves from Naxos.
What a combination! Volkan On The Rocks Cafe/Restaurant is at Fira, offering a fantastic overview of the caldera and the volcano. Volkan Beer is one of the most unique beers in the world.It is made entirely out of Greek products that you won’t find elsewhere. Volkan Cafe is also a little gem with amazing views where you can even have a frappe or…a freddo cappuccino!
What are the Best Santorini Wine Tours?
All the above are wineries and breweries that you can visit by yourself. In most cases, it won’t hurt to contact the winery or the brewery to check if they are open (especially between November and April), as they mainly offer the tours and the wine tasting experience during the high season (between April and October).
You can easily find the wineries by locating them on Google Maps. However, many organised Wine Tours in Santorini will drive you with a minibus to a few of the above wineries and let you experience the wine tasting as a complete package during a single-day (or half-day) tour.
Here are the Best Wine Tours in Santorini:
- http://www.santoriniwinetour.com/
- http://www.safowi.com/
- http://www.winetoursantorini.com/
- http://santorini-privatetour.com/santorini-wine-tours/
- http://santoriniwinetrails.gr/
CONCLUSION:
One thing is for sure: Santorini’s wines and visiting the excellent wineries are among the best things you can do in Santorini. You won’t regret it… Picturesque terraces, unique wines, friendly winemakers with hundreds of years of wine production on their backs, yummy local Greek food, a wine museum, and the amazing Santorini landscape will make your Santorini wine-tasting experience one of the best you’ll ever have in your life.
Leave your smartphone behind, forget the selfies, forget that amazing Instagram shot, and indulge yourself in the moment… (Plus, you can always order or buy a few bottles of Santorini wine (or more…) to bring back home! :))
