Wine Trip
greece
april 2021
Travel to greece with us!
Here is a recommended itinerary and travel stops if you are heading to Greece for a wine and food vacation, or if you are thinking about going in the future.
From the US, most flights connect, but ultimately you will have to fly to Athens first. You can fly to some of the larger islands like Crete, but in general you will have to take ferries from the main port outside of Athens in Piraeus.
Rental car or bus is the main way to get around on the mainland, but as noted above to island hop you’ll need either a ferry or cruise ship. Some islands offer rapid high speed ferries so its a pretty convenient and scenic way to travel.
Getting around in Greece is a unique experience thats difficult to fully explain unless you’ve been there. There can be lots of disruptions in transit, special exceptions to routes, and long delays. Just be patient and flexible, it’s the best way to enjoy the country.
Athens
The capital and largest city in Greece. This will be your main travel hub, and is a city with lots of ancient art and history to explore. I would recommending adding a few days to the beginning or end of your trip to explore the city. Updated airport and tram system make local travel easy.
Santorini
One of the most beautiful and unique places in the world also making truly unique wines, especially Assyritiko. A ferry from Athens to Santorini takes about 5 hours on a high speed vessel but can be up to 7.5 on the regular ferries. I recommend taking at least one high speed ferry to get out to the islands.
Estate Argyros Vineyards Santorini
The vines in most of Santorini are trained low in short round bushes called “kouloura”. This is to avoid damage from intense wine and heat that the vineyards are subject to.
Ramnista Vineyard Nassou Kir-Yianni
This is where the red grape Xinomavro grows in Northern Greece. It can be a difficult grape to grow and make because of its high tannins and acidity, but can produce and elegant and beautiful wine when done correctly,
Vineyards of Crete
Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, and is one of the more interesting up and coming wine regions in the world (for a place thats been making wine for thousands of years). Many unique native varietals thrive here, making wine of distinct character.