Athens Wine Tastings & Peloponnese Day Trips
Athens is the base for tasting Greece’s grapes: in-city wine bars pour Assyrtiko, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro from every region, and the vineyards of Nemea, Greece’s great red appellation, are an easy day trip into the Peloponnese. Compare the top-rated wine experiences below, then read our notes.
Wine tastings in Athens
Formats: in-city Greek wine tastings with a sommelier and meze; wine-bar walking tours; full-day trips to Nemea and the Peloponnese with two wineries and lunch; combined ancient-sites-and-wine days.
What you taste: Santorini Assyrtiko, Nemea Agiorgitiko, Mantinia Moschofilero, northern Xinomavro, and the resinated Retsina of Attica, with Greek cheeses and meze.
Price: 35 to 55 dollars for a city tasting; 120 to 180 for a full day to Nemea with transport and lunch.
Tasting Greek wine in the city
Greece’s wine renaissance is easiest to grasp in an Athens tasting room, where a sommelier pours across the regions – the mineral Assyrtiko of Santorini, the soft red Agiorgitiko of Nemea, the aromatic Moschofilero of Mantinia, the structured Xinomavro of the north – with meze to match. Attica also makes the region’s famous Retsina, the pine-resin white that is far better than its reputation when it is good. It is a fast, enjoyable map of a wine country most visitors don’t know.
The day trip to Nemea
The vineyards nearest Athens are in the Peloponnese, about ninety minutes west. Nemea is Greece’s largest red-wine appellation, built entirely on Agiorgitiko (“St George”), and day trips pair two wineries and a lunch with the ancient stadium and temple of Nemea – wine and antiquity in one outing. See our dedicated Peloponnese wine tours page for the region in full.
How to visit
City tastings need only a booking; the Nemea day trips include transport so you can taste freely. Pair a tasting with an Athens food tour, and if the islands are on your route, see Santorini for the volcanic vineyards. Harvest across the mainland is late August into September.
Read next: 3 days in Athens for food & wine
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Athens Wine Tastings & Peloponnese Day Trips
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a wine day trip from Athens?
Yes; Nemea in the Peloponnese is about ninety minutes away, and full-day tours visit two wineries with lunch, often combined with the ancient site. See our Peloponnese wine tours.
Is Retsina actually good?
The modern versions can be excellent - a light, resin-scented white made for the table; the cheap old stuff gave it a bad name. Worth trying in Athens.
What Greek wine should I try first?
Santorini Assyrtiko for whites and Nemea Agiorgitiko for reds; a city tasting lets you compare them side by side with meze.