Santorini Wine Tours

Rather than continue hijacking the thread on the boat to Oia I thought I would start a new thread specifically on this topic. I have done quite a bit if research on this topic as I am always fascinated by the difference in grape growing and wine making techniques in different parts of the world. We just returned from a month long land trip to NZ where we went to four of the major wine growing regions in that country and tasted many lovely wines and gained a good appreciation for how the wine industry in this country has moved far beyond Sauv Blanc. As we have been to a Santorini on three prior trips we decided it would be fun to get a better appreciation of the place which many wine experts believe ( along with Thessaloniki) many of Greece's best wines are made. So I checked out a number of tour companies and thought others might appreciate my sharing this information..

First of all from what I can tell many of the ship tours go to Santo. You should know that Santo is a large cooperative and they are overrun by group tours. If you just want to say you have tasted Greek wine and want to enjoy the nice view by all means go there.

Continuing ... If you are really into wine you may want to consider a tour with either a small group or private tour offered by one of the well rated tour companies on the island. I don't know what cruise tours cost as I arrange my own but I imagine for about the same money you can join a small, group and taste sone interesting wines. Or for a bit more you can arrange for a private tour and tailor make the itinerary to fit your interests. From what I can tell ( Wine Spectator, wine Advocate, NT Times Wine reviews) some of the best producers on the island are : Argyros, D. kourtakis, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia, Gavakas, H. Halzidakis and Koutsyiannopoulis. From feedback I have received from some tour companies when you inquire about their tours they will tell you which wineries they visit and you may be able to make a request. A question came up about about Boutari -- even though they are one of Greece's largest wine producers they do make some good wines and if your tour goes there I am sure you will find it enjoyable. I would prefer not to go there because I have drunk some Boutari wines already as they can be found in many parts of the US and I want to try something I have not had before. Cheers ,

Thank you, Chairsin. I'm getting a good education from you. I'm not a sophisticated wine drinker. Prefer Pinot Noir or Chianti for red and Chardonnay for whites. I did have a gift of VinSanto once. It was nice but I'm not big into dessert wines.

You don't have to be "sophisticated" to enjoy wine -- just keep an open mind and try as many as you can. One interesting thing that I have recently learned about grape growing in Santorini is because it is quite windy the vines are grown close to the ground curling in circles like baskets. This is a form of cultivation I have not seen anywhere else. I am very much looking forward to trying a variety of Santorini wines and hope you enjoy your wine tour and find something you enjoy.

Chairsin, thank you for sharing your knowledge and research with us. Looking forward to trying some Greek wines during our upcoming cruise.

First of all from what I can tell many of the ship tours go to Santo. You should know that Santo is a large cooperative and they are overrun by group tours. If you just want to say you have tasted Greek wine and want to enjoy the nice view by all means go there.

Just want to share my experience....for those who haven't been.

We were there as part of the private tour that included Oia, Akrotiri, and a stop at Santo before returning to Thira. It was mid October 2014 so the time of year probably makes a lot of difference. We were on the Serenade of the Seas and there was one other ship in port with us.

Our small group of 14 stayed about 2 hours. There were others (maybe locals) that came and went in the store but we sat on the covered deck almost by ourselves. I also walked all around the grounds taking pictures of the ship in the harbor and the lovely scenery - never passing anyone.

I wouldn't eliminate Santo Winery as an option. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Great views - great wine tasting - great time :D

Wine reviews) some of the best producers on the island are : Argyros, D. kourtakis, Domaine Sigalas, Gaia, Gavakas, H. Halzidakis and Koutsyiannopoulis.

Taking notes for my next visit since I want to try some additional wines. Thanks!

I have been continuing my research on Santorini wine and tours and have more info to pass on. I contacted five of the top rated wine oriented tour companies and through emails back and forth have come to a very difficult decision as to which company to retain.I have to admit the companies I contacted all responded in a timely manner and answered my specific question about their tours and were all willing to customize to suit our interests. We finally decided to use Santorini Wine Trails because their primary focus is wine and less general island tourism. Another big plus was that Illiana , who leads the tours, is an oenologist -- which means she has the expertise to really help us get the most out of our short foray into Santorini wines. So we will have a private tour that includes a vineyard, three wineries, and lunch in a taverna known for their local cuisine and not tourist fare. The next dilemma is deciding other than Argyros Winery which other two to visit. She has suggested we pick from Sigalas, Gaia, and Venetsanos. All make highly recommend wines -- especially the first two. Vensanos has a very interesting approach to wine making and their winery has views that rival that of Sanos. As to Sanos, the huge wine cooperative where ship tours all go it is interesting to note that all the companies I contacted said thy never go their because in their words, it is too "massive", "crowded" and "touristic."

BTW, Cruisingxpert, you mentioned you enjoy Chardonnay -- not sure if you like more the lush California style or the leaner French style but if it is the former you may want to look for Nykeri wine. The word means "working all night" and it is used here because this is wine made from the Assyrtiko grape where the grapes are harvested at night and the wine is aged in oak barrels to give it a fuller body than the typical lean and dry Assyrtiko wine.

And another interesting fact -- the famous Vin Santo produced here has nothing in common with the Italian wine called vinsanto. Here it simply refers to a dessert wine ( vin) from Santorini (santo).