Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum
The Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum, located in Vothonas, Santorini, offers a 300-meter-long subterranean tour showcasing the island’s winemaking heritage from 1660 to 1970.
Planning your visit
The Koutsogiannopoulos family dug their winery into the volcanic rock at Vothonas, and the museum runs 300 metres underground at a depth of up to eight metres — which is where Santorini wine was traditionally made, because the caves hold a constant cool temperature in an island with no shade.
The route covers winemaking from 1660 to 1970 with animated tableaux showing the processes, and it explains the specifics of Santorini viticulture: vines trained into low basket shapes called kouloura, coiled on the ground to protect the fruit from wind and to collect moisture from sea mist, since it essentially never rains in summer.
Assyrtiko is the principal grape, producing a high-acid dry white unlike anything else in Greece, and vinsanto is the sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes.
Tastings close the visit.
Allow ninety minutes. The main booking is an entry ticket with tasting and audio guide. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum?
Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum is in Vothonas, Greece.
How long should I allow for Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum in advance?
The audio-guide option can normally be added on arrival, though booking ahead secures the date.