Table of Contents
The standard story of Greek wine begins with "ancient tradition, modern renaissance" and then lists the same four grapes. This guide takes a different approach: it covers what you need to know to actually choose a bottle, plan a winery visit, or understand what you are drinking at a Greek restaurant.
Greece has more indigenous grape varieties than Germany, Italy, and France combined. Most of them are genuinely excellent. The problem has never been quality — it has been visibility.
For the broader context of Greek food and drink, see the Greek food guide. For Santorini specifically, the Santorini travel guide covers the island in full.
Why Greek Wine Is Different
The key difference between Greek wine and the wines of France, Italy, or Spain is the varieties. Most major wine regions around the world are now planted predominantly with international varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. In Greece, the best wine is still made from indigenous grapes found nowhere else: assyrtiko, xinomavro, agiorgitiko, moschofilero, malagousia, and dozens more.
This creates a particular situation for the wine lover: the reference points do not transfer. Trying to describe what assyrtiko tastes like by comparing it to Chardonnay misses the point. These are wines with their own logic, their own character, and — crucially — their own food pairings built from thousands of years of co-evolution with Greek cuisine.
The modern Greek wine renaissance — driven by a generation of winemakers trained in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Davis returning to work with indigenous varieties — has been producing internationally competitive bottles since the mid-2000s. The rest of the world is still catching up.
The Key White Grapes
Assyrtiko (Ασύρτικο)
The most important white grape in Greece and the variety responsible for the finest Greek white wines. Assyrtiko is native to Santorini, where it covers roughly 75% of the island's vineyards, but is now also grown in Macedonia, Crete, and other Aegean islands.
What it tastes like: Bone-dry, with high natural acidity, powerful mineral character (volcanic, saline in Santorini wines), and flavours of citrus, green apple, and stone fruit. At higher quality levels, a complexity of texture and an ability to age that places it in serious company internationally. When tasted blind, Santorini assyrtiko is frequently attributed to Chablis or northern Rhône whites — the volcanic minerality reads as something cool-climate and northern, not Mediterranean.
The Santorini version: Santorini assyrtiko is the benchmark. The volcanic soil, extreme sun, and the island's unique "basket vine" training method — where vines are woven into low spirals to protect grapes from the fierce Aegean winds — produces grapes of extraordinary concentration. The wines have piercing acidity, distinctive volcanic salt, and impressive ageing potential. Most Santorini wine is this grape.
Beyond Santorini: Mainland and Cretan assyrtiko wines tend to be richer and less mineral than the island versions — still excellent, but a different character.
Food pairings: Grilled fish, octopus, seafood, raw shellfish, and — counterintuitively — lamb kleftiko, whose richness the wine's acidity cuts cleanly.
Moschofilero (Μοσχοφίλερο)
A pink-skinned grape from the high-altitude Mantinia plateau in the Peloponnese. Produces aromatic, floral white wines with notes of rose, lychee, and citrus — occasionally used for rosé. Lower in alcohol than most Greek whites (around 11–12%), refreshing and food-friendly.
What it tastes like: Closer to Alsace Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer in its aromatic profile than anything else. Dry, floral, with a pleasant bitterness on the finish.
When to drink it: As an aperitif, or with lighter seafood dishes and Greek mezedes. Not a wine that demands serious attention — exactly the right choice for a long lunch on a terrace.
Malagousia (Μαλαγουζιά)
A rescued variety — it was nearly extinct in the 1980s until winemaker Evangelos Gerovassiliou replanted it in Epanomi, Thessaloniki. Now widely planted across northern Greece. Aromatic white with notes of peach, jasmine, and herbs, with lower acidity than assyrtiko and a rounder, more opulent character.
What it tastes like: Somewhere between Viognier and Muscat in aromatic intensity, but drier and more mineral. One of the most immediately appealing Greek whites for visitors new to Greek wine.
Robola (Ρομπόλα) / Savvatiano (Σαββατιανό)
Two further whites worth knowing: Robola from Kefalonia produces fine, citrusy dry whites; Savvatiano is the most planted Greek variety (mainly in Attica), historically used for retsina but increasingly vinified alone as a dry white of real quality.
The Key Red Grapes
Xinomavro (Ξινόμαυρο)
Greece's most serious red grape and the basis for its finest red wines. The name means "acid-black" in Greek — a fair description. Grown primarily in Naoussa (Macedonia) and Goumenissa, xinomavro produces wines of formidable structure: high tannins, high acidity, and aromatic profiles (dried tomato, herbs, spice, earthy notes) that bear comparison to Barolo or northern Rhône Syrah.
The Naoussa PDO produces the most celebrated xinomavro wines. These need bottle age — young xinomavro can be challenging, with hard tannins that soften only after four or five years in bottle. A well-aged Naoussa from a serious producer is among the most complex red wines made in the Mediterranean.
Lighter expressions: Xinomavro is also used for rosé and for lighter, more approachable reds in the Thessaly region. These are excellent entry points to the variety before tackling a full Naoussa.
Food pairings: Lamb, game, aged cheeses, stews. The high acidity and tannin structure makes it one of the best Greek wines for meat-heavy dishes.
Agiorgitiko (Αγιωργίτικο)
The dominant red grape of the Peloponnese, centred in the Nemea PDO. Agiorgitiko (also called St. George) produces wines of considerable range — from light, juicy, easy-drinking rosés and reds to full-bodied, oak-aged wines of depth and complexity.
What it tastes like: Dark fruit (plum, blackberry), rounded tannins, moderate acidity. More approachable and less austere than xinomavro. Nemea reds at the quality end have real depth and ageing potential.
Food pairings: Grilled meats, lamb, moussaka, pasta dishes. The fruit-forward character works with the richness of Greek meat cooking.
Liatiko (Λιάτικο) / Kotsifali (Κοτσιφάλι) — Crete
Crete has its own indigenous red varieties, with liatiko and kotsifali the most important. Cretan reds tend to be softer and more approachable than northern Greek varieties, often blended together for complexity. Archanes and Peza are the Cretan PDO appellations to look for.
Santorini Wine: The Island in Detail
Santorini is Greece's most internationally recognised wine region, and for good reason. The combination of volcanic soil, phylloxera immunity, ancient vines, and the unique basket-trained assyrtiko produces wines that have no parallel elsewhere.
The terroir: Santorini is effectively a volcanic desert — almost no rain during the growing season, extreme wind, no irrigation. The vines survive by absorbing moisture from the night air through the volcanic ash soil. Yields are incredibly low (sometimes as little as 10% of what comparable French vineyards produce), concentrating flavour enormously. The phylloxera louse that destroyed most European vineyards in the 19th century could not survive in the sand-dominant volcanic soil, meaning some Santorini vines are ungrafted and genuinely ancient.
The basket vines: The characteristic training method of Santorini wine — vines woven into low spirals (kouloura) — protects the grapes from the fierce Aegean winds while keeping them close to the reflective volcanic soil. The result is sun-baked grapes with extraordinary concentration.
The three wines of Santorini:
Santorini PDO (dry assyrtiko): The standard wine of the island. Clean, mineral, citrusy, saline. Drink young for freshness or aged for complexity.
Nykteri (Νυχτέρι): A richer, barrel-aged white made from overripe assyrtiko grapes. The name means "working through the night" — grapes were traditionally harvested at night to preserve their acidity. Nykteri wines have notes of nuts, stone fruit, and honey with a structure that ages beautifully.
Vinsanto (Βινσάντο): The island's great dessert wine, made from sun-dried assyrtiko and aidani grapes, barrel-aged for years. Amber in colour, with concentrated flavours of dried apricot, caramel, nuts, and fig. Often compared to Sauternes or Tokaji in complexity but different in character. This is genuinely one of the world's great dessert wines and remains underpriced internationally.
Santorini Wine Tasting: The Best Wineries
Santorini wine tasting is one of the most enjoyable half-days available on the island — far better than waiting for the famous sunset in a crowd at Oia. The wineries are spread across the island's interior and have variable views, facilities, and wines.
Domaine Sigalas — Founded in 1991 by mathematician-turned-winemaker Paris Sigalas. The most critically respected producer on the island, with particularly fine single-vineyard assyrtiko expressions. The tasting terrace is small and intimate compared to the larger operators. Worth the effort to find it. Best for: serious wine enthusiasts who want precision.
Estate Argyros — Founded in 1903, the oldest estate on the island. Exceptional Vinsanto and single-vineyard assyrtiko. The Canava Argyrou is one of the island's finest wine experiences. Best for: Vinsanto and traditional Santorini wine culture.
Gaia Wines — Housed in a converted tomato paste factory by the sea. Produces excellent assyrtiko including the well-known Thalassitis. More modern and relaxed in atmosphere than the traditional estates. Best for: first-time visitors who want excellent wine in an accessible setting.
Santo Wines — The island cooperative, with caldera views from its terrace. The most visited Santorini winery and not without reason — the setting is exceptional and the range covers the full island style. Best for: the caldera view and a broad overview of Santorini wine.
Vassaltis — A newer, architecturally distinctive winery recommended by locals. More intimate than Santo. Best for: avoiding the main tourist circuit.
For organised santorini wine tasting with transport and guidance:
Santorini Winery & Food Experience
Other Important Wine Regions
Naoussa, Macedonia — Home of xinomavro. The most serious red wine region in Greece. Boutari, Thymiopoulos, and Kir-Yianni are the producers to know. The wines need time; cellar them if you can.
Nemea, Peloponnese — Greece's most important red wine appellation by volume. Agiorgitiko produces a wide range from everyday to excellent. Gaia Wines (also present here with its Estate label), Skouras, and Papaioannou are reliable producers.
Crete — The island has more than 60 wineries and its own PDO appellations (Archanes, Peza, Sitia, Dafnes). Lyrarakis is a standout modern producer; Douloufakis consistently produces excellent value.
Epirus and Northern Greece — Home of malagousia (Ktima Gerovassiliou), Debina (the white grape of Zitsa), and some of the most exciting new-wave Greek winemaking.
Rhodes — Athiri (a white grape used in some Santorini blends) is the local speciality. The CAIR cooperative and Emery Winery are the main producers.
Best Greek Wines to Buy
Whites:
- Hatzidakis Assyrtiko Nykteri (Santorini) — Benchmark Nykteri, aged and complex
- Estate Argyros Assyrtiko (Santorini) — The clearest expression of classic Santorini wine
- Gaia Thalassitis (Santorini) — Accessible, mineral, consistent
- Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia (Epirus) — The variety's finest expression
- Sigalas EPTA (Santorini) — Seven-parcel single-vineyard assyrtiko
Reds:
- Thymiopoulos Xinomavro (Naoussa) — The most approachable serious xinomavro
- Kir-Yianni Ramnista (Naoussa) — Classic, structured, cellarworthy
- Gaia Estate Agiorgitiko (Nemea) — Full-bodied, impressive
- Lyrarakis Kotsifali (Crete) — Excellent value Cretan red
Dessert:
- Estate Argyros Vinsanto — The island benchmark for this wine
FAQs
What is the best Greek wine?
For whites, assyrtiko from Santorini is the most internationally significant — mineral, structured, and age-worthy. For reds, xinomavro from Naoussa is the most complex and serious. The "best" depends entirely on what you are eating and what style of wine you prefer, but both categories produce bottles that compare with the finest European equivalents.
What does assyrtiko taste like?
Dry, high-acidity, mineral, with notes of citrus, green apple, and volcanic salt in Santorini expressions. It is bone-dry and structured — not the soft, fruit-forward white many associate with warm-climate Mediterranean wine. When aged or made in the Nykteri style, it develops complexity, texture, and longevity.
What is santorini wine tasting like?
A visit to a Santorini winery typically involves a guided tour of the vineyards (including the distinctive basket-trained vines), a tasting of four to six wines — usually including dry assyrtiko, Nykteri, and Vinsanto — and explanations of the volcanic terroir and traditional methods. Most tastings run 60–90 minutes. The setting (caldera views at Santo Wines, intimate terrace at Sigalas) is part of the experience.
What is Vinsanto?
Vinsanto is Santorini's great dessert wine, made from sun-dried assyrtiko and aidani grapes, fermented slowly and then barrel-aged for years. Amber-coloured, intensely complex, with flavours of dried apricot, caramel, nuts, and honey. It is one of the Mediterranean's great dessert wines and is significantly underpriced relative to its quality.
Is Greek wine expensive?
At the entry and mid-range levels, no — excellent Greek wine is available at €10–20. The trophy bottles (Hatzidakis Nykteri, top Sigalas expressions, aged Naoussa) reach €30–50 but are still competitive with comparable European benchmarks. The value across the category is consistently strong.
Plan Your Greece Trip
- Greek Food Guide — food pairings for every Greek wine
- Santorini Travel Guide — the full island guide including wineries
- Crete Travel Guide — Cretan wine culture and producers
- Kleftiko Guide — the lamb dish that pairs best with assyrtiko
- Greek Drinks Guide — ouzo, tsipouro, raki and beyond
- How to Plan a Trip to Greece — the full planning framework
🍷 Planning a trip to Greece? Use our AI Trip Planner to include winery visits and food experiences in your itinerary — or take our quiz to find the right Greek destination for your travel style.