Wine
& Viticulture in Therasia

Discover the wine culture of Therasia Island, within the Santorini Caldera, through vineyard experiences, guided tastings and encounters with local winemakers. At Santa Irini Retreat, this tradition is part of the living landscape: the retreat’s vineyard is home to 330 Assyrtiko vines, cultivated in Therasia’s volcanic soil.

The grape harvest at Santa Irini Retreat usually takes place between 15 and 20 August, depending on the season and the ripening of the grapes. Guests staying during this period may have the opportunity to experience aspects of the vendema and gain a closer understanding of the relationship between the island, its people and its vines.

Therasia forms part of the PDO Santorini wine-producing zone together with the main island of Thera. The experience introduces guests to Assyrtiko, the region’s emblematic indigenous white grape, and to the kouloura, the traditional basket-shaped method of training vines close to the ground to protect the grapes from strong Aegean winds and intense sunlight.

The island’s winemaking heritage can be explored further at Mikra Thira, the first winery established on Therasia. A guided visit offers an insight into the cultivation, production and maturation of wines shaped by the distinctive terroir of Therasia and Santorini. Through tastings and conversations with the winery’s team, guests discover the local grape varieties, the demands of viticulture in an arid volcanic environment and the knowledge carried forward by generations of Aegean winegrowers.

More than a wine tasting, the experience brings together the living vineyard of Santa Irini Retreat, the contemporary winemaking of Mikra Thira and the wider agricultural heritage of the Santorini Caldera.