WINERIES, WINES & WINE TESTING
The wineries have a prominent place in Greece, as many Greek wines are known worldwide and have, even, won awards. Specifically, many of the oldest vineyards and wineries are on Santorini and while you are there you ought to visit one of the following:
Canava Roussos, the oldest winery on Santorini, was founded in 1836, with the aim of producing high quality wines that express in a unique way the characters of the numerous varieties of the Santorinean grapes. Decades of experience have been passed on the next generations, so the consistency, continuity and absolute respect for the art of winemaking on the island can be expressed.
Today, Canava Roussos faithfully follows the traditional art of the island utilizing modern technology and aims to create wines with unique flavors and aromas, using excellent raw material, among the finest varieties of the island.
Etiquettes: Assyrtiko, Athiri, Aidani, Mavrathiro, Nama, Nykteri, Vinsanto, Caldera, Rivari.
Episkopiki Gonia (on the way to Kamari)
Tel: 22860 31278
Open: 25-31 May 11:00 - 17:00, June-September 11:00 - 19:00, 1-15 October 11:00-17:00.
Domaine Sigalas is located at the ancient plain of Oia, in the area Baxedes. The company cultivates 10 hectares of vineyards with organic farming in the traditional way and another 10 hectares of palisade vineyards with up-to-dated methods. Inside the winery there is a specially designed area where wine tasting and local delicacies are usually offered.
Etiquettes: Sigalas Santorini VQPRD, Sigalas Apiliotis (mezzo) Red, Sigalas Vinsanto VQPRD, Sigalas Mavrotragano, Sigalas Assyrtiko-Athiri Santorini VQPRD, Sigalas Barrel Santorini VQPRD, Sigalas Santorini, Niambelo Red.
Oia-Baxedes
Tel: 22860 71644
Open: April, May, October: Monday-Friday 10:00 - 19:00, Sat-Sun 11:00 - 19:00,
June, July, August, September: Monday-Friday 10:00 - 21:00, Sat-Sun 11:00 - 21:00.
Estate Argyros was founded in 1903 from George Argyros, in an area of 20 acres of vineyard in Episkopi Gonia on Santorini. George Argyros followed the traditional way of Santorini’s winemaking in order to take advantage of the grapes produced by the vineyard and these wines were intended, mainly, for the local market and his family follows the same strategy today, as well. The magazine "Wine & Spirits" classified Estate Argyros among the best 100 wineries in the world for 2005 and 2006 because of its excellent varieties.
Etiquettes: Assyrtiko Argyros, Agyros Estate, Vinsanto Mezzo Argyros
Episkopi Gonia
Tel: 22860 31489
Open: 08:00 - 20:00.
Artemis Karamolegos winery is located on Santorini, a place where the vine and wine were always inextricably linked to the locals’ life and, consequently, that of the Artemis C. Karamolegos. The winemaking practices of the family started in 1952 and since 2004 the grandson of the family has taken over succesfully. The philosophy of the winery focuses on the grapes used so that they can offer the best possible result, but always with respect to their organoleptic features. The varieties Assyrtiko, Aidani, Athiri Mavrotragano are converted into wine with the latest methods.
Exo Gonia
Tel: 22860 33395
Koutsogiannopoulos Winery - “Volcan Wines” originally started in 1870 by the brothers Gregory and Dimitris Koutsogiannopoulos. The winery started a new era in 1970 with the first semi-automatic winemaking and bottling machinery, inaugurating progressively the bottling. Nowadays, the fourth generation of the winery continues producing wine with the care, passion and attention of the owner George Koutsogiannopoulos. Modern machinery made of stainless steel replaced, as it is natural, the wooden utensils.
Equipped with the latest state of the art, with extensive experience in Santorini ’s vineyards and potential of the local varieties of grapes, it produces wine of very high quality.
Etiquettes: White wines: Nychteri, Assyrtiko, Agali, Lava, Rose wines: Physalis, Lava, Red wines: Ampelones, Agali, Lava, Semi-sweet wines: Mezzo, Sweet wines: Kamaritis, Vinsanto.
-> Every Friday from May to October, organized an event that combines vineyard wine with fun.
Vothonas (Fira to Kamari road)
Tel: 22860 31322
Open: January, February, March, November, December 09:30 - 14:00 (except Sundays), April, May, October 09:00 - 18:00, June, July, August, September 09:00 - 19:00 .
Santowines Winery & Oenotourism Center was established in 1947 and nowadays is the biggest wine producer in the island with about 2,500 employees. It represents all the wine producers of the island and produces only local products. The winery operates since 1992 and is located on the edge of the Caldera right in the middle of the vineyards. Apart from the winery, it includes travel guides, a wine bar, a shop and an exhibition space that you can learn about the history of the wine of Santorini. The lovely terrace of the winery, overlooking the volcano and Aegean Sea, is ideal for weddings. For more information contact the promo@santowines.gr. Finally, there is a conference center that accommodates 80 people.
Etiquettes: Assyrtiko, Nykteri, Assyrtiko Reserved, Assyrtiko Grande Reserved, Vinsanto, Mavrotragano.
Moreover, local agricultural products are offered such as tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce with olive oil and capers, fava beans that comes from the plant Lathyrus Clymenum L. and has been growing exclusively in Santorini for 3,500 years.
Pyrgos
Tel” 22860 28058
Open: all year round from 10:00 am to sundown.
• WINES & WINE TESTING
The Greeks are famous for their wine production since the ancient times. Besides, it is no coincidence that, around the year, Dionysian celebrations were held in honor of the god of wine, Dionysus in various parts of the country, mainly during the winter months. Santorini has a long tradition of viticulture of at least 3,500 years. The unique climate in combination with the soil have as a result vinified varieties with distinctive personality.
Currently, viticulture is the largest sector of agricultural production in Santorini. Its history goes back to prehistoric times, when the Phoenicians introduced it in the region of the Aegean Sea. Today, the vineyard of Santorini is the most traditional in the whole of Greece. It is dry and the only cool elements are the few winter rains and summer nighttime moisture from the evaporation of the caldera. The adverse climatic conditions and the, particularly, high winds forced the farmers to adopt a unique pruning shape, low like a basket, in order to protect the grapes from both the wind and the summer heat. The vineyard area is now 14,000 acres. The most important element of this vineyard is that it has a major variety, namely 50 varieties, many of which are extremely rare. Its main variety is Assyrtiko, which is considered by many people as the best white variety in the entire Mediterranean basin, which is complemented by the other two main white varieties of the vineyard, Athiri and Aidani. Other white varieties that are hosted at the island’s vineyard is Agrioglykada, Asprovoudomato, Santorini Asprouda, Gaidouria, Vaftra Aspri, Aspromantilaria, Glykada, Kritiko, Potamisi, Platani, Katsano, Flaskasyrtiko, Stavrachiotis. From the red varieties Aegean Mantilaria holds the most important place in Santorini’s vineyard and is followed by Mavrathyro, Vaftra, Voudomato, Mavrotragano, Sideriti, Glykada Red, Aidani Black.
• WINE TASTING
- Artemis Karamolegos Winery
You can visit the winery and taste selected wines from Santorini, local products and “mezedes” (wine appetizers). There may, also, be a tour of the winery so as to show you how the wine production is done.
Location: Exo Gonia
When: During the summer 12:00 - 22:00
- Canava Roussos Winery
Everyday if you visit the winery, Yiannis Roussos and his team will guide you through the facilities and you will try seven different varieties of wine: the Santorini Roussos, Nykteri Roussos, Rivari Roussos, Caldera Roussos, Athiri Roussos, Mavrathiro Roussos and Nama Roussos.
Location: Episkopi (Mesa Gonia), 600m. from Kamari
When: May-October
- Koutsogiannopoulos Winery - Volcan Wines
If you visit the winery you can taste the excellent wine selection and learn the history of wine production in the Wine Museum that operates there.
Location: Vothonas (the road from Fira to Kamari)
When: From May to October, every Friday an event that combines traditional delicacies, wine and fun, is organized.
- Santowines Winery & Oenotourism Center
The winery is located on the edge of Caldera, in the middle of Santorini vineyard, it opened in 1992 and it includes all the wine producers of the island. The visitors have the opportunity to make a tour around the winery, drink wine at the wine bar, shop and watch documentaries about the history of the wine of Santorini. On the beautiful terrace overlooking the Aegean you can try wine or even hold your wedding. Moreover, the winery can host conferences. Visitors can shop even traditional local agricultural products such as Santorini’s cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce with olive oil and capers and Fava beans.
Location: Pyrgos
When: Open all year from 10:00 until sunset.
• WINE CARE
The wine needs special care and attention to bring out the flavor completely. A mature wine, moreover, is not only good for its taste but also for its color and smell.
Wine storage place:
The wine should be stored in cool places, i.e. at about 12 ℃, with no humidity. It is not recommended to have air conditioning in the room as it dries up the air. Of course, there are not often wine cellars in our houses, so an alternative is a closet, a dark corner of the house or perhaps an area under a staircase. You must place the bottles in a horizontal position, so as the cork remains moist as this prevents the ingress of oxygen, which affects the composition of the wine, and the bottle will open easily, too. Furthermore, be careful not to shake when transporting the wines as sudden movements can alter their content.
Proper wine serving:
Initially, the wine should be served without sudden movements but in a calm and steady way until it covers 2/3 of the glass. Do not serve it chill so as that the flavor is not destroyed. The ideal temperature is for: the white wine 8-10 ℃ and red 15-18 ℃. Do not forget that the choice of the wine is based on your food and as the sommeliers say there is one basic rule: the color of the wine should match the color of the food. For example, the white wine is associated with white meat, white sauces and fish, while red wine with red meat and red sauces, while rose always matches all foods.
*Be careful not to mix salads with vinegar as this changes the taste of the wine and certain kinds of cheese can cover the taste of the wine so they should be avoided those times. Finally, with the red wines you should avoid sweets and fruits, apart from apples and pears.
• THE GREEK WINE IN OUR DAYS
Many Greek wines compete in quality with other international famous ones, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, the Syrah, Chardonnay. The Greek wines come from different regions of the country and have a special character. The Greek varieties that have distinguished is Assyrtiko, Roditis, Moshofilero, Agioritiko, Xynomavro, Muscat of Samos, which gradually become more and more famous. Nevertheless, these wines have special characteristics as whites are cool, refreshing and comes at a good price, while the red ones have nothing to envy of the quality of other European wines.
Specifically, Santorini’s wines have their own special flavor due to the sandy, volcanic soil. There are the white varieties such as Santorini, which is a fresh, dry white wine, Nykteri, which is a white wine that ages in a barrel. Regarding the red ones, Mavrathiro, a dark red sweet wine that aged in a barrel and Caldera, a dry red wine, stand out.
Still, from the beginning of the ‘90s, many Greeks winemakers have participated in international competitions and have won awards, positive comments and the interest of the international culinary community. Also, the French vines can be easily grown in the Greek territory, which of course gives them a special taste because of the terrain and the weather conditions.
Finally, arguably the wine is part of our culture, like many other cultures, and it has been associated with the “well-being”; it is a means of expression and celebration through the centuries, accompanied by dancing and singing.
