How I Spent a Relaxing Sunday at Venetsanos Winery
There are over 20 wineries on the small Cycladic island of Santorini, Greece. Today’s adventure lead me to Venetsanos Santorini Winery, located right above the port in the village of Megalochori. The sights upon arrival were heavenly as the location depicted ethereal views of the caldera.
The Venetsanos Winery tour is a small exhibition that provides the history of the family owned winery.
There are also some machinery displays to offer more information about the process that goes into wine making.
Inside sitting area.
I booked the Wine Tasting with Delicious Light Lunch option and opted to sit cliff-side so that I could enjoy the gorgeous views. The hospitality was warm despite Santorini being a bit chilly around sunset. Every person that came to my table was hospitable and despite being busy checked on me quite often.
For lunch, everything tasted fresh and truly embodied the unique and organic flavors of the Greek island.
Fava with capers and onion.
Tomato fritters.
Cheese plate with fig, cold cuts, piperomelo chutney, grapes, a pepper, chicken, sun-dried tomato, and goji berries adorned on top for garnishment.
Dolmades with tzatziki sauce.
Assortment of bread sticks with olives and tomato paste with capers.
The wines that I sampled during the wine tasting were all sourced from the island of Santorini and aged to perfection.
Here is a list of the wines that I tried courtesy of the Venetsanos Winery website with my pairing notes:
- Santorini 2018 – Dry White Wine – Assyrtiko Variety. (Best with Seafood)
- Anagallis 2018 – Semi Dry Rose Wine – Mandilaria, Aidani, Assyrtiko Varieties. (Best with poultry)
- Mandilaria 2018 Dry Red Wine – Mandilaria Variety. (Best with red meat)
- Vinsanto 2016 – Naturally Sweet Dessert Wine from Sundried Grapes Assyrtiko, Athiri, Aidani Varieties
My favorite wine was the Vinsanto and it’s liquid caramel tasting notes were comparable to that of other local wineries on the island.
So, where to buy Santorini wine?
After your wine tasting, you can go to an onsite concession store to purchase wine, honey, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and other local condiments. 
Collectively, I truly enjoyed my visit at Venetsanos Winery. With friendly and accommodating staff to delicious regional food selections, I 100% recommend this winery to any wine lovers that are traveling to Santorini, Greece.
Fun Fact – Did you know that in Santorini wine vines are tied into circular formations and left on the ground to cultivate in the sun? These wreath-like baskets are called “kouloura” and they allow grapes to grow while protected from natural elements. The island is very windy and this would disrupt the average vineyard that most of us are accustomed to seeing. The climate however is dry and hot which is perfect for the wine aging process.
