Santorini Wine Tour Guide: Wineries, Assyrtiko and How to Plan Your Day

A Santorini wine tour is one of the few island experiences that works just as well at midday in August as it does on a quiet October afternoon. The island has been making wine for more than 3,000 years, its vineyards look like nowhere else on earth, and most of the best wineries sit within a short drive of each other in the centre and south of the island. This guide explains what makes Santorini wine special, which wineries are worth your time, how long to allow and how to combine tastings with the views the island is famous for. If you would rather have someone else drive, our Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting covers the best stops in one private afternoon.

Why Santorini wine is different

Everything about Santorini viticulture is shaped by the volcano. The soil is a thick layer of pumice, ash and lava that holds almost no organic matter and drains instantly. It also contains no clay, which is why the phylloxera louse that destroyed most European vineyards in the 19th century never took hold here. Many Santorini vines grow on their own roots and some root systems are centuries old.

The second surprise is the shape of the vines. Instead of the neat rows you see in Tuscany or Bordeaux, Santorini growers train each vine into a low spiral basket on the ground, called a kouloura. The grapes grow inside the basket, shaded from the sun and protected from the meltemi wind that blows hard across the island in summer. Almost no rain falls between May and September, so the vines survive on the morning sea mist that the pumice soaks up overnight.

The result is a small crop of intensely flavoured grapes. Yields here are among the lowest in Europe, which is one reason Santorini wines cost more than most other Greek wines and why they are worth tasting at the source.

The wines you will taste

Assyrtiko is the grape that made Santorini famous and it makes up the large majority of plantings. Expect a bone dry white with high acidity, a saline, almost smoky mineral edge and enough body to age for a decade. It is one of the few whites that pairs happily with grilled fish, fava and even lamb.

Nykteri is a traditional style of Assyrtiko, sometimes blended with the local Athiri and Aidani grapes, made from very ripe grapes that were historically pressed overnight (the name comes from the Greek word for night). It is fuller, richer and often aged in oak.

Vinsanto is the island's sweet wine, made from Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes sun dried for up to two weeks and then aged for years in barrel. It is amber, thick, tastes of dried apricot, honey and coffee, and has nothing to do with the Italian Vin Santo except the name.

You will also find dry reds from Mavrotragano and Mandilaria, two local red grapes that a handful of producers have rescued from near extinction. They are rare and worth trying if a winery offers them.

Wineries worth visiting

Santorini has around 20 wineries and most welcome visitors. These are the ones that come up again and again when guests ask us where to go, roughly from the most visited to the more intimate.

Santo Wines, Pyrgos

The island's cooperative winery, on the caldera edge just below Pyrgos. It has the biggest terrace on the island with a straight view over the volcano, a shop with every local product you could want, and structured tastings that start with a few wines and go up to full flights with food. It is the busiest, so book a table for sunset or come before noon.

Venetsanos Winery, Megalochori

Built in 1947 into the cliff above Athinios port, Venetsanos was the first industrial winery on Santorini and was designed to use gravity instead of pumps. The terrace view is as good as Santo Wines with far fewer people, and the tasting with a light lunch is one of the best value experiences on the island.

Gaia Wines, Exo Gonia

A converted tomato factory on the black sand beach between Kamari and Monolithos. Gaia makes one of the most respected Assyrtikos in Greece (Thalassitis) and the tasting is literally on the beach. It is a good final stop on a hot day.

Hatzidakis Winery, Pyrgos

A cult producer working organically in a cave winery below Pyrgos. Tastings are small and personal and the wines are among the most sought after on the island. Reservations are essential.

Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum, Vothonas

An underground museum carved 8 metres into the rock that walks you through the history of Santorini winemaking with life size scenes, followed by a tasting. It is the best choice for families and for anyone who wants context before the tasting rooms.

Estate Argyros, Episkopi Gonias

A modern estate with some of the oldest vines on the island and a polished, sit down tasting. If you want to understand aged Assyrtiko and serious Vinsanto, this is the place.

How to plan the day

Allow 45 minutes to an hour per winery, plus driving. Two wineries make a relaxed half day, three is the realistic maximum if you also want to see the island. The wineries around Pyrgos and Megalochori are 5 to 10 minutes apart by car; Gaia and Estate Argyros are on the other side of the island, 15 to 20 minutes away.

The usual mistake is to leave the winery for the end of the day and then race the sun to Oia. Do it the other way round. Start with a village or a viewpoint, visit the wineries in the early afternoon when tasting rooms are quieter, and arrive in Oia or at a caldera terrace with a glass in hand for sunset.

A sample private afternoon with Magic South looks like this:

• Pickup from your hotel or from Athinios port if you arrive by ferry or cruise tender.
• Firostefani and the blue domed church for photos, then the monastery of Prophet Elias at 600 metres for the panoramic view of the whole island.
• Megalochori village and a winery tasting.
• Red Beach from the cliff top viewpoint.
• Oia for the sunset, or drop off at your hotel earlier if you prefer.

That is the route of our Santorini Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting: 4 hours, private vehicle and driver, from 200 euros per vehicle for up to 20 guests, with the winery of your choice. Tasting fees are paid directly at the winery.

Getting to the wineries: car, tour or private driver

Most wineries are not on a bus route, and the ones that are involve a walk in the sun from the main road. Renting a car works if one person is happy to stay on water for the afternoon. Santorini roads are narrow, parking in Pyrgos and Oia is difficult in summer, and Greek drink driving limits are strict.

Group wine tours from Fira are the cheapest way to visit 2 or 3 wineries, but you follow the bus's schedule and share the tasting room with 15 other people. A private driver costs more per vehicle and less per person once you are 4 or more, and it means the whole party tastes. We wait at each winery, carry the bottles you buy, and adjust the route if you fall in love with one place and want to stay longer. See our 8 seater Mercedes Vito and V Class for the vehicles we use on tours.

Practical tips

• Book ahead in July and August. The popular tasting rooms fill up, especially for sunset slots at Santo Wines and Venetsanos.
• Tasting prices typically start around 20 euros per person for a flight of 4 wines and rise for premium flights with food. Museums charge an entry fee that includes a tasting.
• Buy at the winery. Prices are lower than in Oia shops and most wineries ship abroad. Vinsanto in half bottles travels well in hand luggage if you buy it airside, otherwise it goes in the suitcase.
• Eat something. Assyrtiko is 13 to 14 percent alcohol and the afternoon sun is strong. Order the meze plate or plan the tasting after lunch in Pyrgos or Megalochori.
• Cruise visitors: the wineries around Megalochori are 15 minutes from Athinios port, where we can collect you if you take the tender to the ferry port instead of the cable car. Read our port transfer page for how it works.

Frequently asked questions about Santorini wine tours

Are Santorini wine tours worth it?

Yes, if you enjoy wine even a little. Santorini has one of the most unusual vineyards in the world, with vines coiled into baskets in volcanic ash, and the tasting rooms have caldera views you would pay for anyway. A tour also solves the driving problem, so everyone in your group can taste.

What is the best wine tour in Santorini?

For most visitors the best tour combines 1 or 2 wineries with the island's highlights rather than 4 wineries back to back. Our private Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting does exactly that in 4 hours with your own driver, from 200 euros per vehicle. Dedicated sommelier led tours are excellent for serious wine lovers.

Which wine is famous in Santorini?

Assyrtiko, a dry, mineral white grape that covers most of the island's vineyards and is now grown across Greece. The second famous wine is Vinsanto, a sweet amber dessert wine made from sun dried Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes and aged for years in barrel. Both are protected Santorini designations.

What are the best wineries to visit in Santorini?

Santo Wines and Venetsanos for caldera views, Gaia for a tasting on the beach, Hatzidakis and Estate Argyros for serious small production wines, and the Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum for families. Most sit within 15 minutes of each other around Pyrgos, Megalochori and Exo Gonia.

What should I not miss in Santorini?

Oia at sunset, the view from Prophet Elias monastery, a winery tasting, Red Beach from the cliff path, and one of the traditional villages such as Pyrgos or Megalochori. Our 4 hour Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting covers all of them with a private driver, so you see the island without the parking stress.

Is Fira or Oia better in Santorini?

Fira is the capital with more restaurants, nightlife, the cable car and the bus hub, so it is more practical. Oia is smaller, prettier and quieter in the morning but very crowded at sunset. For a wine tour it does not matter, we pick you up from either in 15 to 40 minutes and both are on the way to the wineries.

How long is the walk from Thira to Oia?

The caldera path from Fira (Thira) to Oia is about 10 kilometres and takes 3 to 4 hours with photo stops, passing Firostefani and Imerovigli. Start early because there is no shade. Many guests walk one way and book a transfer back to their hotel, which we arrange from Oia at a fixed price.