Although Greece might not come to mind when thinking of countries with a rich history of viticulture, the success of Santorini’s wines has brought the world’s attention to Greek wines again. Particularly known for its crisp dry white and sweet Vinsanto wines, Santorini’s wineries and vineyards truly deserved to be discovered. Santorini’s climate and volcanic soil give its wines distinct and unique flavor profiles, and this is particularly true of its flagship grape variety, Assyrtiko. Today, there are nearly 20 wineries on the island and you should definitely visit at least one of them during your stay on Santorini. Below we present our guide on Three of our Favorite Wineries and Vineyards to Visit in Santorini to help you discover some of Santorini’s best hidden gems.
Disclosure: This page (Three Wineries and Vineyards to Visit in Santorini) may contain product affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. More details can be found on our disclosure and policies page.
You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in Santorini
Santorini Itinerary Ideas (1 to 5 days)
Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on Santorini
How to Get Around Santorini
A Brief History of Santorini Winemaking
Evidence of the production of wine on Santorini dates back to the volcanic eruption of around 1653 BC, which buried the prehistoric city of Akrotiri and wiped out almost all life on the island. Excavations of the city have revealed various indications of vine-growing and winemaking on the island. It took roughly three centuries for the island to resettle and for vines to be replanted.
The massive eruption would serve not just to define the islands’s iconic caldera topography, but also its soil. Today, in Santorini, the soil is a mix of sand, ash and lava, with almost no organic matter or clay. This soil composition has prevented phylloxera (a tiny pest that decimated most of Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th century) from ever taking hold. Because of this, Santorini has some of the oldest vines in Europe (some of which are now over 400 years old).
Having avoided the consequences of the vineyard pandemic doesn’t necessarily mean that growing grapes in Santorini is easy, however. It rarely rains and strong ever-present winds pose a constant threat to vines. Over the centuries, Santorini’s vignerons have learned to space their vines, to grow them ungrafted in small, sheltered hollows, and to weave them into a basket or bird nest shape to protect them from the hot, dry winds. Weaving them in such a manner also ensures that the frequent morning mist provides enough humidity for the vines.
Santorini’s Wines and Grape Varieties
Whites
Santorini’s flagship grape, Assytirko, represents about three-quarters of the Santorini vine planting. It is a strong and productive grape that is resistant to drought and fungal diseases. It also produces high-quality wines that retain their acidity despite the very hot conditions. The end result is a fresh and crisp wine high in minerality, acidity and alcohol content (usually 14%), with light notes of saltiness and citrus. Many have described the taste as a mixture of Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc.
Other white grapes are also grown on Santorini, such as Athiri and Aïdani, which are typically used in wine blends with the Assytirko grape.
Reds
Red wines often get overlooked on Santorini, even though dark-skinned varieties account for around 20 percent of the island’s total vineyard area. The most used grape is the Mandilaria, originally cultivated in Rhodes and Crete, but wines made with the local Mavrotragano grape tend to attract most of the attention and praise in Santorini.
Dessert Wines
Santorini’s most famous wine export has historically been the islands’s best sweet wine, Vinsanto (though the Assyrtiko whites are quickly catching up). The wine whose name was born from the fusion of the words “wine” and “Santorini” (vin-santo) is a popular dessert wine made with late-harvest white grapes that are sundried for up to two weeks before undergoing a long and slow fermentation process. They are then barrel-aged for several years, and the wine will typically take on darker, amber colors. Santorini Vinsanto wines are still produced in the traditional method and, in line with the appellation laws, must be at least 50 percent Assyrtiko.
Santorini’s Most Well-known Wineries and Vineyards
For an island less than 100 km2, Santorini has an impressive amount of wineries and vineyards (20 of them in 2023). Some of the more well-known wineries include Santo Wines (the largest wine producer on the island) and Venetsanos, both along the caldera near the towns of Pyrgos and Megalochori. Most wine tours will stop at at least one of the two, if not both, and both tend to cater to large crowds. If you want dramatic views with your wine tasting, these are great options, but if you would prefer a more intimate and authentic experience, keep reading. Although it’s a relatively new winery (established in 1991), Domaine Sigalas is another one that’s growing in popularity, in part due to its proximity to Oia.
If you don’t plan on renting a vehicle while in Santorini, you can definitely visit some of these as part of a group wine-tasting tour, including also some of the wineries we will describe in greater detail below.
But if you have your own vehicle, you can more easily take your time and hand-pick the wineries you would most like to visit and create your own tour in a sense. While most wineries can also be reached by bus, visiting more than one in a day becomes a little difficult to organize.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Santorini.
If you want to go a little off the beaten track like we did, the next section will highlight three wineries that not only provide a more intimate and authentic wine-tasting experience but also have something quite unique to each of them.
Three Santorini Wineries You Might Want to Discover
Gavalas Winery
Tucked away in the heart of the charming town of Megalochori, Gavalas Winery is a small boutique winery that has been family-run for 5 generations (over 300 years). They have 11 different wines and only produce 90,000 bottles/year.
Four different tasting options are offered: Introduction to Santorini (going to taste four different introduction wines that showcase the basic characteristics of Santorini’s extreme volcanic character), White Expressions of Santorini (taste two different expressions of Assyrtiko grape and two rare white varieties of the island), Explore Santorini (the most complete wine tasting option where someone has the chance to understand Santorini’s terroir at its best), Premium and Rare (explore some of the rarest, under – extinction varieties of the island, vinified into their most premium and limited wine labels). Tastings last about 60-90 minutes depending on your pace and the tasting option you selected, come with delicious snacks, and cost between €15 and €35 (2023).
Gavalas Winery is open 11 am to 7 pm daily, April through October (shorter hours the rest of the year). Although drop-ins are welcome, it’s a good idea to make reservations (you can book online).
How to get there: If coming by car, several parking lots around town are 5-10 minutes walking distance from the winery, all of which are about a 10-minute drive from Fira. The winery is not too hard to access by bus – the nearest bus stop is in Megalochori along the Fira-Akrotiri or the Fira-Perissa route, only a 7-minute walk away.
Why you should visit: We should start by admitting that we are a bit biased, because this was our favorite wine-tasting experience. The cute authentic decor and attention to detail made it a memorable experience – not to mention that the wine was delicious. Also, this is one of the few wineries (if not the only one) that is the heart of one of Santorini’s most charming towns. Megalochori was a joy to stroll through both before and after our visit to Gavalas. We also enjoyed a great lunch earlier in the day at Avlogyros restaurant.
Estate Argyros
This was the largest of the three wineries but didn’t feel overwhelming at all and the service was excellent despite catering to a slightly larger crowd. Established on a 5-acre vineyard in 1903 by Georgios Argyros, the Estate Argyros vineyard has grown to cover an area of nearly 65 acres and certain parts of the vineyard date as far back as 150 years, making the Argyros one of the oldest vineyards on the island. It’s currently run by the fourth generation of Argyos winemakers.
Two different tasting options are offered: Estate Argyros Welcome (tasting of 4 different wines including their signature wine Vinsanto – wines are accompanied by a small selection of local cheeses), and Taste the real Santorini (6 Estate Argyros wines will be matched with a selection of Greek cheeses, cold cuts and expertly selected specialties). The first option lasts about 45 min and costs 20€/person (2023), and the second lasts 90 min and costs 40€/person. Although drop-ins are welcome, it’s a good idea to make reservations (you can book online).
How to get there: The estate is a short 10-minute drive from Fira. There’s ample parking available on-site. Getting here is fairly straightforward by bus along the Fira-Kamari line, just ask the driver to be dropped off at the estate.
Why you should visit: Before your tasting you get a brief but interesting and informative tour of the vineyard and the winery. The food & wine pairings were simply fantastic. As a bonus, the beautiful Kamari beach and boardwalk are just a 5-minute drive or 30-minute walk away, making it easy to combine some beach fun and wine-tasting.
Art Space Winery
This is where SantoWines used to be before they moved to their current location in 1952. A new winery opened in 1999, called Art Space, once the old wine-making chambers were restored by the previous owners’ son. This new winery is hosted in an adjacent underground cave, whose entrance is 8m below ground level. The dominant material in this cave is a dense layer of pumice, 6m thick, creating the perfect insulating environment for wine maturation. The wine comes from organic vineyards located above the cave.
Since reopening, the caved-in old winery chambers of Art Space Santorini have held contemporary paintings and sculptures of approximately 200 top Greek and foreign artists — all of which are for sale. Wine tastings come with a tour of the winery and the art exhibits. Contrary to the previous two wineries, no food pairings are available here. Although drop-ins are welcome, it’s a good idea to call ahead.
How to get there: If driving, the winery is located about a 10-minute drive from Fira. There’s ample parking available on the premises. To get here by bus, take the Fira-Kamari line bus and get off at this stop, from which you can walk to the winery in about 5 minutes.
Why you should visit: Combining a winery and an art gallery? What a great idea! Definitely the only winery of its kind on the island. The fact that the whole tour and tasting experience takes place in a series of underground caves is also quite unique!
Preparing a trip to Santorini?
You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in Santorini
Santorini Itinerary Ideas (1 to 5 days)
Santorini Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on Santorini
How to Get Around Santorini
Preparing a trip to Greece?
You might be interested in these Greece pages:
Top Things to See and Do in Greece
Two-Week Greece Itinerary (including Mykonos and Santorini)
Greece Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
How to Travel Around Greece
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steeves Greece
Lonely Planet Greece
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage for travellers. Includes Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. Primarily geared towards long-term travellers, digital nomads, and expats.
e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
—–
Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Santorini Guide on the Three Wineries and Vineyards to Visit in Santorini and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to this beautiful Greek island.
—–
You might also be interested in these related pages:
.