Santorini Wine Tasting Guide
Santorini's volcanic soil, combined with a growing method found almost nowhere else, produces wine that tastes genuinely different from other Greek regions — dry, mineral, and distinctly different from what most visitors expect from a Greek island.
The kouloura growing method
Santorini's vines are trained into low, basket-like coils called kouloura, protecting the grapes from the island's constant wind and helping them retain scarce moisture in volcanic soil that gets very little rain. It's a visually distinctive method you won't see in most wine regions.
Assyrtiko: the signature grape
Assyrtiko is the grape most associated with the island, producing crisp, high-acid white wines with a mineral edge that comes directly from the volcanic soil. Vinsanto, a sweet dessert wine made from sun-dried grapes, is the island's other well-known style.
Where to taste
Several wineries near Pyrgos and Megalochori offer tastings with caldera views, ranging from casual walk-in tastings to more structured, reservation-only experiences paired with local food. Booking ahead is worth it for the more popular wineries in peak season.
Combining a winery visit with sunset
Several wineries sit at elevations with their own caldera views, making a late-afternoon tasting that runs into sunset a popular alternative to fighting Oia's crowds for the same experience.
What to eat alongside the wine
Many wineries pair tastings with local specialties like fava (a yellow split-pea puree, not broad beans despite the name) and tomato keftedes — worth asking about a food pairing if it's available rather than tasting on an empty stomach.
Getting between wineries
Most wineries sit a short drive apart rather than within walking distance of each other, so a rental car, taxi, or organized wine tour makes visiting more than one in a day realistic.
Buying bottles to take home
Most wineries sell bottles directly on-site, often at better prices than you'll find once you're back home, given how little Assyrtiko gets exported relative to demand.