Updated October 2021
Wine tasting guide to Athens
An extended 3 day layover left us with some time to explore the wines of Greece. These wines are pretty hard to pronounce (much like our discoveries in Cappadocia, Turkey), but follow our Athens wine tasting guide below and you’ll be a Greek wine god in no time.
Brief history of Greek wine
Ancient Greece is loaded with exciting history: wars, mythical creatures, democracy, religion, language and yes, wine. Vines have been cultivated and produced in Greece longer than any other region in the world and has been an integral part of the local’s lives for over 4,000 years.
As the legend goes, the god Dionysus (son of Zeus) was the first to discover the fermented juice and bring wine to the people of Greece. The island of Crete is considered to house the first Mediterranean vines, dating back to 2000 BC.
Where to stay
If you want to explore the main tourist sites like the Acropolis museum, you may want to stay near the center of Athens.
We don’t care much for the crowded tourist scene, so instead we opted for the neighborhood Glyfada: a local suburb closer to the water and away from the tourist noise. Our apartment was extremely well located, fairly priced and had a smooth, easy check-in.
Where to taste
We recommend renting a car so that you can visit the wineries. Uber is possible for this, but it can get expensive. If time doesn’t permit day trips or you just want to stay in the city, keep reading for our picks on the best wine bars in the city center
Nikolou Winery
This is a must visit if you’re in the area. The experience is so far above and beyond routine wine tasting. The small family-owned winery (~1000 cases annually) will make you feel like family as they provide a walking tour of the cellar and provide a seated tasting with food pairing.
Vassilis Nikolou has a masters degree in Chemistry and loves to experiment with his wines. The most common varietal produced is Savatiano – a local white grape that has high acidity, green apple, lemon peel akin to a Chablis. Nikolou produces several cuvees of Savatiano: regular steel tank, on lee’s, natural late harvest and sparkling Retsina.
Retsina comes from the sap of the local Allepo pine tree and when combined with white wine like Assyrtiko and Savatiano, contributes some very interesting notes of pine and herbs; this is an ancient winemaking tradition and tastes unlike any other wine we’ve tried. Nikolou boasts the first Sparkling Retsina in Greece.
Our favorite wines were the 2018 Savatiano on lees “Fine Lees” and the late harvest, 2002 “Sweet Dream” made by sun-drying the grapes, akin to a red version of Sauternes. Tastings can be paired with tapas and other local small bites; we recommend calling ahead to get the full experience.
Strofilia Estate Winery
Strofilia is less boutique in size than Nikolou, but we still think it deserves a visit, especially if you’re venturing south to Poseidon’s temple. The winery was started by two electrical engineers in 1980, replanting an estate that was destroyed by a Phylloxera wave in 1956.
Grapes are fielded from two vineyard sites–Peloponnese and Attica, with a wide range of labels and varietals produced. Unlike Nikolou, there is much more emphasis on blending and easy drinkable wines. If you prefer more of the funky, unfiltered and natural wines, you’ll be more excited by Nikolou.
We enjoyed our private tour, guided by one of the enologists and complete with tank samples of wines about to be bottled. Tasting is via appointment only; ask for Maria.
Heteroclito Wine Bar
All snickers aside from the name, this is a fantastic wine bar for organic and natural wine lovers. There was a plentiful By The Glass section and half pours are available to allow for a broad spectrum in tasting local varietals.
Most of the organic and natural white wines in Greece have very interesting notes of thyme, oregano and chamomile tea amongst the traditional citrus flavors. This results in the wine being very good to pair with greek cuisines, which often includes the same ingredients. The reds offer an interesting dose of salinity, oyster shell and a long charcuterie finish.
Favorite wines tasted:
- “Chlori Amber” orange wine by Siflogo from Lefkada
- Robola white wine by Sarris winery from Kefalonia
- Negoska red wine by Domaine Tatsis from Central Macedonia
- Limniona red wine by Vinifera from Boetia
By the Glass
A totally different experience than the first wine bar, but just as enjoyable if not better. By the Glass has a much swankier vibe and we enjoyed the conversation with the staffed sommelier more than Heteroclito. There wasn’t as much of an emphasis on biodynamic and natural wines, but we found our favorite bottle
We learned about Greece’s most famous grape, Assyrtiko, which grows primarily on Santorini’s volcanic soil. The vines are low to the ground and form a unique basket shape to protect the grapes from the sun and wind. The aroma and taste profiles closely resemble that of a Riesling. We tasted some older vintages to compare and just like with many Rieslings, the older vintages adopted a really intriguing oily and petrol nose and creamy, citrus finish on the palette–Delicious!
Don’t miss: A Beginner’s Guide to White Wine
Favorite wines tasted:
- “Nostos” Roussanne white wine by Manousakis from Crete
- Assyrtiko white wine by Domaine Sigales from Santorini
- Assyrtiko white wine by Santo Wines from Santorini
- Xinomavro red wine by Kyrgiannes from Naousa
Where to eat
Greek food is delicious– very simple, healthy ingredients which are complemented from the fresh, herbal wines. Beware that some of the restaurants around the city center can get a little touristy, but others are great.
- CTC: Upscale tasting menu with a good wine list; creative and interesting dishes
- Il Salotto: Amazing mussels and Italian dishes
- Varoulko: Tasting menu with views
- Athens Bistrot: Decent lunch spot amid the tourist crowds. Sit outside for a view of the Acropolis
- Karamanlidika: Great charcuterie boards and other local bites
