WineGuessrGreek wines
Greece has one of the oldest wine cultures in the world, with evidence of winemaking dated to about 6,500 years ago. Today it is known for native grapes: Assyrtiko on volcanic Santorini, Agiorgitiko in Nemea, Xinomavro in Naoussa and Muscat on Samos, plus pine-resin retsina.
WineGuessr features 4 wines from Greece, in 3 regions. Aegean Islands has the most, with 2.
Wine history
Greece has the second-oldest grape wine remains found anywhere and the world's earliest evidence of crushed grapes, with winemaking dated to about 6,500 years ago, when it was done at household or community level. Wine was central to ancient Greek life, from the cult of Dionysus to the symposium, the drinking gathering shown on many painted vases. In the Middle Ages, under Venetian rule, Santorini exported its wines across the Mediterranean. The first Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Greece was planted in 1963, and appellation laws passed in 1971 and 1972 created the modern system of protected origins, now aligned with EU PDO and PGI categories.
Wine regions and appellations
Greek wine has three tiers: PDO for appellation wines, PGI for regional wines, and table wine (epitrapezios oinos), which includes traditional retsina. On Santorini in the Aegean, the volcanic soils contain none of the clay that phylloxera needs, so vines grow on their own roots, woven into ring-shaped baskets called kouloura with the grapes facing inward. Samos is known for Muscat. In Macedonia, Naoussa is the home of Xinomavro, and in the Peloponnese, Nemea makes reds from Agiorgitiko while Mantineia, in Arcadia, makes white wine from Moschofilero. Limnio from Lemnos is among the oldest grape names still in use.
Grapes and what to drink
Greece relies mainly on native grapes. Assyrtiko is a high-acid white with citrus and mineral notes, and dry Santorini PDO wine must contain at least 75% of it; Nykteri is an oak-aged version, and Vinsanto is a sweet wine from sun-dried grapes aged at least 24 months, a name reserved for Santorini by the EU in 2002. Xinomavro, meaning sour black, makes tannic, long-lived reds in Naoussa with notes often compared to tomato and olive. Agiorgitiko gives soft, fruity reds in Nemea. Moschofilero is floral and crisp, Malagousia is an aromatic Macedonian white, and on Samos Muscat makes vin doux naturel, dry whites and a straw wine.
Wine regions of Greece
Grapes of Greece
Aegean Islands: 2 wines
Macedonia: 1 wine
Peloponnese: 1 wine
Wine in Greece: questions and answers
What grape is Santorini wine made from?
Santorini wine is made mainly from Assyrtiko, which must make up at least 75% of the dry Santorini PDO. Athiri and Aidani are the other white grapes on the island.
What is retsina?
Retsina is a traditional Greek wine flavoured with pine resin. It is classed as table wine (epitrapezios oinos) rather than as a PDO wine.
How old is winemaking in Greece?
The earliest evidence of Greek wine dates to about 6,500 years ago. Greece also holds the world's earliest evidence of crushed grapes.
What is the main red grape of Greece?
Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro are the main Greek red grapes. Agiorgitiko makes soft reds in Nemea, and Xinomavro makes structured, age-worthy reds in Naoussa.
What is kouloura vine training?
Kouloura is the traditional vine training of Santorini: as the vines grow, they are woven into ring-shaped baskets with the grapes facing toward the inside of the ring.
Wines from other countries
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.