Santorini for Wine Lovers - Wineries, Assyrtiko & Caldera Tastings
A wine holiday on Santorini: wineries with caldera views, Assyrtiko and Vinsanto, restaurants, wine bars, tours and the island's unique basket-trained vines.
Why Santorini for wine lovers?
Most people come for the sunset in Oia, the white houses and the caldera. Very few discover that Santorini is one of the most extraordinary wine regions on earth - even though the vineyards here look like nowhere else.
On Santorini the vines are not trained on wires but woven into flat baskets on the ground. The grapes hang protected inside: from the meltemi that sweeps the island relentlessly all summer, from swirling pumice dust and from the sun. And because it hardly ever rains here, the basket catches the night mist off the Aegean, which drips down to the roots. This training system is called kouloura, and it is the result of centuries of adaptation to a place where nothing should really grow.
Then there is something other regions envy: phylloxera never made it here - the soils of volcanic ash, pumice and lava contain too little clay for it. The vines therefore stand ungrafted, without American rootstock, and many are well over a century old.
What comes out of all this is Assyrtiko: a white wine that keeps a taut, almost cutting acidity despite the heat, tastes salty and mineral, and ages for years. For the technical background, see our Santorini profile.
Best time to travel for wine experiences
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| May - June | Our recommendation: pleasant temperatures, every winery open, high season not yet under way |
| July - August | Very hot and very busy; harvest runs from early to mid-August - fascinating to watch, but the estates are in full production mode |
| September - October | The second good window: warm, quieter, the sea still warm enough to swim |
| November - April | Several estates close for winter or open by appointment only; Santo Wines is there year-round |
One thing that matters for planning: Gaia, Art Space and Vassaltis run their main season from roughly April to October, while Venetsanos closes in deep winter and on Sundays during the winter months. If you travel out of season, ask ahead.
Wineries you can visit
The great advantage of this island is its size. Less than 30 minutes separates the northernmost winery from the southernmost, and three in a day is entirely manageable. You should still book almost everywhere - especially for sunset.
Santo Wines (Pyrgos)
The most-visited spot on the island, and for good reason: the terrace high above the caldera offers probably the best view you can have with a glass in your hand. Santo Wines is the island's cooperative and processes a large share of the harvest, so the range is correspondingly broad, from dry Assyrtiko to Vinsanto. A short tour with two wines costs around 12 euros, with tasting flights at several levels and a restaurant alongside. Open year-round and reachable by bus from Fira. Book well ahead for sunset - this is no secret.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Domaine Sigalas (Baxedes, near Oia)
If one producer made Assyrtiko internationally famous, it was Paris Sigalas. The estate lies on the flat northern part of the island below Oia, and you taste in the middle of the vineyard - the kouloura baskets stand right beside the table, and you will not get closer to the subject anywhere. Alongside the classic tasting from around 12 euros there is a two-hour tour of vineyard and cellar, plus a multi-course menu with wine pairing for those who want the full version. Visits by appointment only.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Estate Argyros (Episkopi Gonia)
The address for old vines. Founded in 1903 and now in its fourth generation, the estate works ungrafted vines averaging around eighty years old, with individual parcels considerably older. Argyros maintains traditional kouloura training with particular rigour - if you want to understand why these vineyards look the way they do, this is where it is best explained. The modern winery with its panoramic view over the vineyards is an architectural highlight, and the glass holds not only Assyrtiko but also Aidani, Athiri, the red island variety Mavrotragano and a remarkable Vinsanto.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Venetsanos Winery (Megalochori)
Visually the most spectacular winery on the island, clinging to the caldera rim high above the ferry port of Athinios. Founded in 1947, it was Santorini's first industrially built cellar - and because there was no electricity at the site, the whole facility works across four levels on gravity alone. That original construction is still visible and is the real reason to come. Tastings run roughly between 12 and 28 euros, a package with cheese and charcuterie around 55. From May to mid-October there is a sunset terrace in the evenings with light food - the more elegant alternative to the scrum in Oia. Book with plenty of notice.
Info: Google Maps
Art Space Winery (Exo Gonia)
Three things in one place: an underground cave serving as an art gallery with works by Greek and international artists, a small museum of the old winery's equipment, and the working estate itself. The barrel cellar lies eight metres deep in the pumice, the family tradition goes back to 1861, and the newer vineyards are farmed organically. Tastings from around 10 euros for four wines, about 20 for eight. Daily from April to October, in winter by appointment only. Our tip for anyone who wants to combine wine and culture.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Hatzidakis Winery (near Pyrgos)
The most purist experience on the island and a favourite among wine enthusiasts. The cellar is built into a cave and needs no air conditioning thanks to the constant natural temperature; you taste at monastery tables among the barrels, with cheese from Naxos and barley bread. Around 20 euros for six wines over 45 to 60 minutes. Founded in 1997, the estate works organically and was a pioneer in reviving the red variety Mavrotragano. Walk-ins are accepted from May to October, otherwise by arrangement.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Vassaltis Vineyards (Vourvoulos)
The youngest of the established estates, with clean modern architecture, just a few minutes north of Fira - and the best value entry point for a first visit. Three formats are on offer: three wines with an amuse-bouche for around 15 euros, three wines with a tour for about 20, or five wines with an amuse-bouche for around 25. The tour starts daily in the afternoon. Open daily from April to October; booking recommended.
Info: Website · Google Maps
Gaia Wines (east coast)
The most laid-back winery on the island: it sits in a former tomato factory right on the sea, on the coast road towards Kamari, and you taste practically with your feet in the sand. The speciality is "Thalassitis Submerged" - every year a few hundred bottles are sunk about twenty metres down off the coast and aged there without light or oxygen. They come back encrusted with barnacles, and the wine shows a smokier, rounder character than its counterpart on land. Main season roughly May to October.
Info: Google Maps
A suggested route
One wine day on Santorini: start at Vassaltis near Vourvoulos in the morning, take Art Space or Estate Argyros in the east of the island around midday, then Hatzidakis near Pyrgos in the afternoon for the serious tasting - and finish on the terrace at Santo Wines or Venetsanos for sunset. If you are planning an Oia day, add Domaine Sigalas instead; if you are heading to a beach on the east coast, take in Gaia.
Important - driving and wine: Greece's limit is 0.5, and 0.2 for newly qualified drivers, motorcyclists and professional drivers. On Santorini, though, a guided tour with a driver is not just a question of alcohol but of common sense: the roads are narrow and winding, packed with rental cars and quad bikes in summer, and parking in Oia and Fira is the real problem. Half-day tours covering three wineries are standard here, often with a sunset stop; book through your accommodation, directly with the wineries or via the usual platforms. There are only a handful of taxis on the island - in summer, always order ahead.
Restaurants for wine lovers
One note first: there are no Michelin stars on Santorini so far - the guide covered Greece only in Athens for a long time and is just now expanding to other regions. Our selection therefore follows what matters for this guide anyway: the wine list.
Selene (Fira) - the island's institution for creative Greek cooking, founded in 1986 and for some years now housed in the Katikies Garden in Fira, a former 18th-century monastery. The cellar holds around 450 entries from every Greek region plus European classics - the deepest list on the island and the right address if you want to get to know Greece beyond Santorini. Info: Website · Google Maps
Metaxi Mas (Exo Gonia) - the locals' favourite, in the village next to the church, with Cretan-Santorinian cooking. The wine list is the product of real research rather than a supplier's catalogue: rare varieties, unusual methods, personal recommendations. Booking is effectively essential - but the restaurant does not take reservations far in advance, so call as soon as you arrive. Info: Website · Google Maps
To Psaraki (Vlychada) - a fish taverna above the marina at Vlychada, with the catch arriving daily from local fishermen. The wine list is unusually deep for a taverna and consistently local, including barrel-fermented Assyrtiko. Very good value. Info: Website · Google Maps
Vezené (Imerovigli) - the island outpost of the cult Athens restaurant, on the caldera rim: pasture-raised meat, local fish, wood fire. The list runs to around 120 labels with a clearly Greek signature, a dozen or so of them by the glass. Info: Google Maps
Lauda (Oia) - opened in 1971 as Oia's first restaurant, right on the caldera cliff. Finely balanced Greek cooking with local fish, and a wine list that focuses squarely on the island's volcanic varieties. Info: Website · Google Maps
And the simple version: below Oia, at the water's edge, lies the small harbour of Ammoudi, reached down some 300 steps or by car. Fish tavernas line up directly on the sea - grilled fish, cold Assyrtiko, sunset, without the prices of the cliff-top restaurants. For many people the best evening of the trip.
Wine bars and the wine museum
- Santorini Wine Museum Koutsoyannopoulos (Vothonas) - a wine museum eight metres underground, in a natural cave between Fira and Kamari: the history of island winegrowing from 1660 to 1970, with original equipment and moving figures. The audio guide is available in many languages, German included. Combination tickets with a tasting are available. The best thing to do during the hottest hours of the day, and a good one for families. Website · Google Maps
- Winebar Santorini (Imerovigli) - tastings in a centuries-old natural cave on the caldera, with a clear focus on Assyrtiko plus selected labels from across Greece, and a terrace with the view. Website · Google Maps
- DOMO (Oia) - a traditional cave house with a terrace and sea view, a calm counterpoint to the bustle of Oia, with a curated list of good Santorini wines and tasting flights. Google Maps
Wine experiences
- A guided wine tour: on this island, the single most sensible investment of the holiday - three wineries, one driver, usually four to five hours, frequently with sunset as the final stop. Bookable through your accommodation, directly with the wineries or via the usual platforms.
- Akrotiri: the Bronze Age settlement in the south of the island was preserved under ash by a colossal volcanic eruption - the "Pompeii of the Aegean". Among the finds are storage jars proving that wine was made here thousands of years ago. The best possible context for everything you drink afterwards.
- The Fira to Oia walk: the path along the caldera rim via Firostefani, Imerovigli and the Skaros rock is the scenic highlight of the island. In high summer, walk it only early in the morning or late in the afternoon - there is almost no shade. At the end, Oia waits with a wine bar and the sunset.
- Volcano tour: a boat trip to Nea Kameni with a crater walk and the hot springs of Palea Kameni. Thematically the perfect companion to the wine, because afterwards you understand what these vines are actually growing on.
- Sunset without the crush: the famous Oia sunset is magnificent and hopelessly overcrowded. The terraces at Santo Wines and Venetsanos offer the same caldera view, a glass of Assyrtiko in hand and somewhere to sit. The tip we give most often for this island.
Practical tips
The island is small, the journeys are not: 20 to 30 minutes of driving sounds like nothing, but on an August road full of quad bikes and rental cars it feels different. Plan three wineries a day, not five - and put the last appointment at sunset, so you only have to do the drive back in the dark once.
Taking wine home: within the EU, wine for personal use travels freely. Only the logistics matter: because of the 100 ml rule no bottle can go in hand luggage - either pack it well cushioned in checked baggage (many estates have shipping boxes or protective sleeves) or buy it after security in duty free. Quite a few wineries also ship directly, which with more than a couple of bottles is almost always the better solution.
What to buy: a dry Assyrtiko, if you want to experience how salty and taut a white wine can be at 40 degrees - and how well it goes with grilled fish. Alongside it, a Vinsanto: the island's sun-dried sweet wine is rarely seen abroad, keeps for decades, and with its caramel-and-fig note over that driving acidity it is one of the most interesting sweet wines in Europe. If you are feeling adventurous, take a Mavrotragano - the nearly vanished red island variety that a handful of estates have brought back.
And while you're there: Greek labels are hard for most travellers to read - often in Greek script, with unfamiliar grape and place names. The Grape Guru app scanner resolves that in seconds and tells you whether the glass holds a steel-fermented Assyrtiko or a barrel-aged Nykteri.
Frequently asked questions
What does a wine tasting cost on Santorini?
Usually between 10 and 25 euros per person for a tasting with a tour. Art Space starts at around 10 euros for four wines, Santo Wines charges about 12 for a tour with two, Vassaltis sits between 15 and 25, and Hatzidakis around 20 including a cheese plate. There is no ceiling: a menu with wine pairing at Domaine Sigalas costs considerably more.
Do you need a car to visit wineries on Santorini?
Not really - and we would actually advise against it. The roads are narrow and full of rental cars and quad bikes in summer, and anyone who tastes at three wineries cannot drive afterwards. Greece's limit is 0.5, and 0.2 for newly qualified drivers, motorcyclists and professional drivers. Guided half-day tours with a driver are standard on the island, often ending at sunset. A few wineries such as Santo Wines can also be reached by bus from Fira.
What is kouloura training?
Santorini's answer to wind and drought: over several years the vine is woven into a flat basket close to the ground, with the grapes hanging inside it. That shields them from the meltemi wind that sweeps the island all summer, from swirling pumice dust and from direct sun. Because it hardly ever rains here, the basket also helps catch the night-time mist off the Aegean, which drips down to the roots. A basket like this is renewed again and again over decades.
What are Vinsanto and Nykteri?
Vinsanto is the island's sun-dried sweet wine, mostly from Assyrtiko: after picking, the grapes dry in the sun, are then pressed and aged for a long time in wood - amber-coloured, with caramel and fig, but carried by Assyrtiko's signature acidity. Nykteri is the powerful, usually barrel-aged white style; the name comes from the night, because grapes were traditionally picked and pressed after dark to escape the heat.
When is the harvest on Santorini?
Very early - usually from the start to the middle of August, and in hot years even sooner. That makes it one of the earliest harvests in Europe. Arrive in mid-August and you will see the grapes coming in, but bear in mind that the wineries are in full production mode and tours may be restricted.
Your sommelier for your vacation
Unfamiliar wine list, unknown labels? Simply scan the list or bottle at a restaurant or wine shop – the Grape Guru app instantly tells you which wine is worth it. Free for iOS and Android.
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