Sample Wine at the Gavalas Winery in Santorini
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Santorini is one of the most popular wineries in Greece to visit and it has enchanted people for centuries. It is known for its unique growing conditions, largely due to the history of volcanic activity on the island. As a result of this, the island produces some unique and delicious wines! When visiting the island, make sure you stop in and sample wine at the Gavalas Winery, which is one of the producers of wines on the island:
About the Gavalas Winery in Santorini
For over 300 years, wine has been an important part of the Gavalas family. They have exclusively engaged in the vinification of indigenous varieties of grapes grown in Santorini. Until the 1920s, the family produced wines from grapes on that grew on their privately owned vineyards. They vinted in their winery located in Megalochori. At this time, the wine their produced was mainly distributed throughout the island of Santorini. During the 1930s, Gavalas Winery began shipping wine to Athens and Piraeus.
In 1973, the Gavalas family opened a wine store in Athens. They would exclusively handle the sales and distribution of the main wines of Santorini: Nyhteri, Brusco, Mezzo, Mandilaria, and Vinsanto. In 1998, for the first time, the Gavalas family would produce and bottle their own Vinsanto at their small, but modern winery in Megalochori.
Gavalas Winery produces a high-quality white wine called Katsano. Made from two varieties that are not well-known outside of Santorini, it is a unique and exotic wine. The grapes used to make Katsano are harvested before they are fully ripe. This lovely wine tastes of lemon blossoms and honey.
Gavalas Winery wines have won several awards over the years. Some of these include silver medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2016 for their Vinsanto, gold medal in the Grand Harvest Awards in 2013 for their 2012 vintage Santorini white wine, and silver medal in the TexSom International Wine Awards 2016 for their 2015 vintage Katsano.
Taste Different Wines at the Gavalas Winery
The Gavalas family and their colleagues welcome visitors during the summer months. You will not only see where these award-winning and unique wines of the island of Santorini are produced, but you can also sample the wine as well. Wine lovers especially are encouraged to stop by and try these wines. You will enjoy a guided tour of the winery, which will take you through a lit stone tunnel that acts as a wine museum. The tunnel leads to a beautiful courtyard.
The Gavalas Winery and private vineyards are located in the charming village of Megalochori. The traditional village lies on a hill that consists of steep alleys and streets, Cycladic-style houses, churches, and taverns. Megalochori is known for its vineyards and top-quality wines they produce, so you will definitely want to stop by and visit the Gavalas Winery.
You can get to Santorini by ferry or by plane. The main port of Santorini is Athinios. The airport of Santorini is 8 km from Fira, the capital of the island. You can get to Megalochori where the Gavalas Winery is located by taxi, rented car, or bus.
If you have an interest in seeing where wines are made, touring the Gavalas Winery on the island of Santorini is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Don’t forget to explore Megalochori while you’re there.
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Categorized in: About Santorini, Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
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