Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The three names
- Assyrtiko - white, high acid, mineral and bone dry, from Santorini. The best-known Greek white by a distance.
- Xinomavro - red, high tannin, high acid, ages for decades, from Naoussa in Macedonia. Frequently compared to Nebbiolo, and the comparison holds.
- Agiorgitiko - red, softer and rounder, from Nemea in the Peloponnese. The easiest Greek red to like.
The regions
Santorini
The most extraordinary viticulture in Europe. There is no water and there is constant wind, so vines are trained into a basket, the kouloura, coiled on the ground with the fruit growing inside the ring, sheltered from the wind and shaded from the sun. The vines draw moisture from night fog.
The soil is volcanic ash and pumice, phylloxera never took hold, and some root systems are said to be centuries old. Several wineries on the island receive visitors, and it is the single best wine visit in Greece.
Nemea
An hour and a half from Athens in the northern Peloponnese, and the country’s largest quality red appellation. The higher vineyards give the better wine. It combines easily with Mycenae and Nafplio in a day.
Naoussa and Macedonia
North of Veria and west of Thessaloniki, on the slopes of Mount Vermio. Xinomavro country, and the region that produces Greece’s most serious ageing reds. Vergina and its royal tombs are on the same road.
Crete
The largest vineyard area in the country by surface, with its own varieties: Vidiano, Liatiko, Kotsifali, Mandilaria. The modern producers are in the hills above Heraklion, and the quality has moved a long way in twenty years.
The rest worth a detour
- Naxos, Paros and Limnos - island whites and the aromatic Muscat of Limnos.
- Samos - sweet Muscat, a historic appellation grown on terraces up the mountain.
- Kefalonia - Robola, a crisp mountain white grown on limestone.
- Zagori and Epirus - high-altitude vineyards at Zitsa, making a lightly sparkling white.
Visiting
- Book ahead. Most Greek wineries are small and are not set up for walk-ins, particularly outside summer.
- Harvest runs from August on the islands to October in the north, and it is a busy, bad time to arrive unannounced.
- Do not drink and drive. Greek limits are low and enforcement is real. Santorini’s wineries are close enough to reach by taxi; Nemea and Naoussa are not.
- Retsina deserves a second look. The mass-market version gave it a bad name, but small producers make serious resinated wine.
Last checked August 2026. Winery opening arrangements change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is the most famous Greek wine?
Assyrtiko from Santorini, a dry, high-acid, mineral white grown on volcanic soil, is the best-known Greek wine internationally.
Why are Santorini vines grown in baskets?
The kouloura, a coiled basket trained on the ground, shelters the fruit from constant wind and shades it from the sun on an island with almost no rainfall.
What is the best Greek red wine?
Xinomavro from Naoussa is the most serious and the longest-ageing. Agiorgitiko from Nemea is softer and more immediately approachable.
Where can you visit wineries in Greece?
Santorini has the most visitor-ready wineries. Nemea, Naoussa, Crete and Kefalonia all receive visitors too, usually by appointment.
Is retsina worth trying?
Yes, from a small producer. The mass-market version gave resinated wine a poor reputation that the better bottles do not deserve.
Next
Read Nemea, Santorini, or Greek food and drink.