Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A focused 3-stop route through Greece
The character of this trip
Ancient vines, islands and mainland
Greek wine goes back to antiquity, and the trip pairs that long history with a very modern energy: volcanic Assyrtiko on Santorini, Agiorgitiko in the Peloponnese, Savatiano on the plain beside Athens. Sea separates the islands from the mainland, so plan around ferries rather than assuming a short hop. The grapes are almost unknown elsewhere, and the food is made for them.
A focused route through what's currently documented
Greece has 3 places mapped on Ampelos so far. The route below draws on the ones within reach of each other — enough for a short, honest route rather than a full itinerary — and will grow as more of the country is documented.
Stops
3
Total driving
~421 km
Behind the wheel
7h 38min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Sigalas — Oia; a leading estate for Assyrtiko and Vinsanto.
- Hatzidakis — Pyrgos; organic Assyrtiko from very old vines.
- Gaia — Pyrgos; Santorini's Thalassitis Assyrtiko, from a winery also active in Nemea.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~282 km · 5h 7min to the next stop
Moving from a Assyrtiko-led stop to a Savatiano-led one, the route changes grape as well as place: Santorini, then Attica.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Domaine Papagiannakos — Markopoulo; established in 1919 and known for Savatiano.
- Kokotos — Founded in 1980 by George and Anne Kokotos, north of Athens, and known for Savatiano.
- Domaine Vassiliou — Koropi; known for the Savatiano-Roditis blend Ambelones and a barrel-fermented Savatiano.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~139 km · 2h 31min to the next stop
Attica is Savatiano country; Nemea is Agiorgitiko. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Gaia Estate — Founded in 1994 by Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, and a leader in terroir-driven Agiorgitiko.
- Domaine Skouras — Founded in 1986 by George Skouras; best known for Megas Oenos, a blend of Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Palivou Estate — Founded in 1995; an organically farmed estate focused on Agiorgitiko.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.