Santorini is one of the oldest and strangest wine regions in the world — vines have been worked here for more than 3,500 years, since the Bronze Age, on an arid volcanic island where they're woven into low baskets on the ground and grow with almost no rain, on soil made of pumice and ash. A Santorini wine tour is an easy half-day from Perissa, taking you up into the island's interior to the wineries around Pyrgos, Megalochori and Exo Gonia to taste the crisp, mineral Assyrtiko whites and the sweet, sun-dried Vinsanto. Because Perissa sits on the quiet beach side and the vineyards are inland, this is a trip you either drive to yourself or, more often, join with hotel pickup. Here's how it works, what it costs in 2026, and what makes Santorini wine worth the detour from the beach.
TL;DR — the Santorini wine tour at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What you taste | Assyrtiko (dry white), Nykteri (oak-aged white), Vinsanto (sweet dessert wine) |
| How many wineries | Usually 3 on a small-group tour, with ~12 tastings plus snacks |
| Duration | About 4–5 hours for a half-day tour |
| Getting there from Perissa | Most tours include hotel pickup; otherwise a 15–25 min drive inland |
| Typical price (2026) | ~€100–150 pp for a guided 3-winery tour; walk-in cellar-door flights from ~€15 (Santo Wines ~€18–55) |
| Landmark wineries | Santo Wines, Venetsanos, Estate Argyros, Art Space |
| Best time | Late afternoon, so the last winery lands at sunset over the caldera |
Why Santorini wine is different
Everything about Santorini viticulture is shaped by a hostile environment: fierce summer wind, blazing sun, almost no rainfall, and volcanic soil with no clay to hold water. Over centuries the growers adapted in ways you won't see anywhere else.
The most famous adaptation is the kouloura (the "basket" vine): instead of climbing a trellis, each vine is trained into a low, coiled wreath on the ground, with the grapes growing on the inside, sheltered from the wind and shaded from the sun. The vines survive largely on humidity and morning dew trapped by the porous soil rather than rain. And because the sandy volcanic ground was never hospitable to the phylloxera louse that wiped out most of Europe's vineyards in the 19th century, many Santorini vines are ungrafted and own-rooted, with root systems that can be centuries old.
The result is a white wine of unusually high acidity and a distinctive salty, mineral, citrus character. The island's dry whites carry the Santorini PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), established in 1971 as one of Greece's very first wine appellations.
The wines you'll taste
A good tour is really a lesson in three wines. Knowing them in advance makes the tastings far more rewarding.
| Wine | Style | Tastes like |
|---|---|---|
| Assyrtiko | Dry white, high acid | Lemon, green apple, flint, sea salt — crisp and bracing |
| Nykteri | Oak-aged dry white | Fuller-bodied Assyrtiko, riper fruit, a little oak, higher alcohol |
| Vinsanto | Sweet dessert wine | Sun-dried grapes: honey, dried apricot, caramel, still with bright acidity |
Assyrtiko is the island's flagship grape and the one you'll taste most — pale, dry and mineral, superb with the local fava and grilled fish. Nykteri is a traditional oak-aged, higher-alcohol style of Assyrtiko (the name comes from working the grapes "at night," nychta). Vinsanto is Santorini's prized sweet wine, made by leaving Assyrtiko and other grapes to shrivel in the sun before a long ageing in barrel — deep amber, intensely sweet, but kept in balance by that trademark acidity. You'll usually also meet Aidani and Athiri, the white grapes often blended alongside Assyrtiko.
The landmark wineries
Most organised tours build the day around one "view" winery and one or two heritage estates. These are the names you'll see on itineraries.
- Santo Wines — the big cooperative near Pyrgos, with the most famous caldera-view tasting terrace on the island. It's the classic sunset stop: sweeping views, a huge range of labels, and busy at golden hour. This is the winery pictured in our things to do and the easiest to reach on your own.
- Venetsanos — perched dramatically above Athinios port, Santorini's first industrial winery (from the 1940s), built into the slope so the wine flows down by gravity. Another spectacular caldera-view terrace, usually a little calmer than Santo.
- Estate Argyros — a heritage family estate renowned for old ungrafted Assyrtiko vines and some of the island's most celebrated Vinsanto. A serious stop for anyone who wants to taste depth rather than views.
- Art Space — an atmospheric winery and art gallery set in an old canava (cave cellar) at Exo Gonia, combining tasting with sculpture and paintings underground.
You don't have to visit on a tour — Santo Wines in particular welcomes walk-ins for tastings — but a guided tour handles the driving (useful, since you'll be drinking) and adds the story behind the vines.
What a wine tour costs in 2026
Prices depend on the format. As a rough 2026 guide:
- Simple cellar-door tastings (turn up at one winery, taste a flight): from around €15–20 for a basic set of pours, rising to ~€40–55 for premium or reserve flights with food pairings. At Santo Wines, walk-in tasting flights run ~€18–55, while its scheduled €12 daily guided tour includes two tastings — the cheapest way to taste there, but a short tour rather than a self-paced flight.
- Guided small-group half-day tours visiting three wineries with ~12 tastings, snacks and hotel pickup: typically €100–150 per person.
- Sunset wine tours finishing at a caldera-view winery, often with more tastings and food pairings: €130–150 or more per person.
These are indicative figures that shift with the season and what's included (transport, food pairings, number of wines) — always check the inclusions on the booking page. You can compare current departures on platforms such as GetYourGuide's Santorini page or book directly with a winery. A guided tour's main value is the transfer and the guiding; if you'd rather taste at your own pace and have your own wheels, a self-drive loop of two or three wineries works well too.
Doing it from Perissa
The wineries cluster inland around Pyrgos, Megalochori, Exo Gonia and Emporio — the high middle of the island — roughly a 15–25 minute drive up from Perissa. Two ways to do it:
- Join a tour with pickup. Most small-group and private tours collect you from your Perissa or Perivolos hotel (or the nearest accessible point) and bring you back, so nobody has to stay sober to drive. This is the most popular choice.
- Drive yourself. Rent a car or ATV and string together two or three wineries — but pick a designated driver and go easy on the pours. See the /getting-here page for rental basics.
Time it for late afternoon so your final winery — Santo or Venetsanos — coincides with the sunset over the caldera, one of the island's great experiences and a calmer alternative to the crowds in Oia (see our Oia sunset guide). Pair the trip with the island's other caldera outings in our best day trips from Perissa, and if you enjoy the local wines, our /what-to-eat page covers the fava, tomatokeftedes and grilled fish they're made to go with. For getting around and where to base yourself, see getting to Perissa and where to stay in Perissa; on a day you'd rather stay put, the black-sand beaches and /landmarks are right on the doorstep, and the /practical-info page covers cash and timings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Santorini wine tour cost?
A guided small-group tour of three wineries with around a dozen tastings, snacks and hotel pickup typically runs €100–150 per person in 2026. Simple cellar-door tastings at a single winery start lower, from roughly €15–20 for a basic flight (at Santo Wines, walk-in flights run ~€18–55; its cheaper €12 option is a short guided daily tour of two tastings, not a self-paced flight), while sunset tours with food pairings sit at the top of the range.
What wines is Santorini famous for?
Santorini's signature wine is Assyrtiko, a crisp, high-acid, mineral dry white that carries the Santorini PDO. The island is also known for Nykteri, an oak-aged Assyrtiko, and Vinsanto, a sweet amber dessert wine made from sun-dried grapes and aged for years in barrel.
Can you do a wine tour from Perissa?
Yes. The wineries are inland around Pyrgos and Megalochori, a 15–25 minute drive up from Perissa. Most tours include hotel pickup and drop-off from Perissa and Perivolos, or you can drive yourself with a designated driver. It's an easy half-day.
What are the basket vines on Santorini?
They're called kouloura — vines trained into a low, coiled basket shape on the ground rather than up a trellis. The grapes grow on the inside, sheltered from Santorini's fierce wind and sun, and the vines survive largely on dew and humidity trapped by the volcanic soil rather than rainfall.
Which Santorini winery has the best views?
Santo Wines near Pyrgos has the most famous caldera-view terrace and is the classic sunset stop, though it gets busy. Venetsanos, built into the slope above Athinios port, has an equally dramatic caldera view and is usually a little quieter.
