Santorini Wine Museum

"The realization of the museum took 21 years of hard work and it was funded completely by the Koutsoyannopoulos family, whose members used to be vine-growers. Today the museum is managed by the fourth-generation owners and winemakers since their passion for wines remains undimmed. The importance of its existence lies in the fact that the island of Santorini is interwoven with its excellent wine varieties, thanks to the rich volcanic soil. That's also the reason Santorini has a long tradition in winemaking, with its wines achieving global fame for their exceptional flavors, making them the most renowned local product! The Koutsoyannopoulos family wanted to continue the tradition, keep the history alive, and share their love for winemaking. The Wine Museum provides an insight into the history of wine and the lives of vintners in Santorini from 1660 to 1970, through intriguing exhibitions. It features interesting elements like sound effects, still-life arrangements, and partly mobile figurines that vividly unfold the history and the whole process of winemaking. Moreover, there is a wide variety of authentic machinery, tools, and containers, including some rare pieces, arranged and presented in chronological order. Similarly, the various stages of winemaking, from pruning and plowing to harvesting, stomping, and grape weighing, are presented in a way that allows visitors to actively engage with them during the tour. The museum offers a self-guided tour to the general public throughout the year, which includes an automated audio guide available in 14 languages, and a guidebook. The tour ends in the office of Grigorios Koutsoyannopoulos, who was the founder of the family winery, where guests can view his personal belongings that date back to 1870. After the tour, the experience is transferred to a wine-tasting room. There, visitors indulge in a wine-tasting journey by savoring four of the best wines from the family winery! Finally, they have the opportunity to watch a video about the comprehensive history of Santorini, its way of life, and the evolution of wine production on the island. Besides the Wine Museum which offers the most accurate representation of traditional Greek winemaking, the family still owns the winery, which was founded in 1870, that produces the famed Volcan Wines and holds a prominent position as a leading producer in Santorini. Both the indoor and outdoor areas of the winery are also available for hosting various events, including weddings. Furthermore, people can organize special events with live music or a DJ (traditional Greek music is recommended), delicious food, and, of course, the finest selection of Volcan Wines."

"9 AM - Highly recommend this museum! There were a ton of cool exhibits. Got to taste 4 wines. Loved the dessert wines!"