Wines of Greece Sailing Cruise in the Aegean

Welcome drink, tasting Ionian Sea’s wines. Begin as you mean to go on with a welcome glass of sparkling wine while you meet your crew and fellow passengers. Evening sail to Hydra and dinner served with wines from the Ionian Sea. Overnight at Hydra.

Gaia winery, SEMELI winery lunch. After a morning arrival into Nafplio, we’ll visit the ancient site of Mycenae. Then on to Nemea - the leading red wine appellation in Southern Greece - to visit the pioneering, top-quality estate, Gaia. Our next visit is also our lunch stop; at Semeli where we’ll taste their range of fine wines from Nemea and Mantineia. Enjoy some free time in Nafplio, one of the most attractive towns in mainland Greece, before we sail south along the coast of Arcadia, letting the anchor down for a swim stop as soon as possible. Dinner on board, paired with select wines from the Peloponnese.

Monemvasia winery, Dinner with TSIMBIDIS FAMILY. Monemvasia’s wealth came from its Malvasia (also known as Malmsey), so it’s safe to say wine meant a lot to the mediaeval town. Visit the vineyards with Monemvasia Winery who are re-establishing the island's wine fame. Lunch ashore with freetime in the afternoon; exploration of the old town and taking a dip in the cooling waters are recommended. Tonight’s dinner is on board where we welcome the Tsimbidis family of Monemvasia Winery to dine with us.

Swim stop, Imery winery, Crete’s best wines. Swimming at the beaches of Milos is almost unbeatable. Almost, but not quite: dropping anchor at sea nearby and diving deck to water wins every time. Spend your morning this way before drying off to explore the island, enjoying locally produced food and wines in a village taverna. Learn about the island's grape history, and about the recent Imerys investment in its vineyards. At this evening’s dinner your wine host, Tim Clarke, presents some of the best wines from nearby Crete.

Argyros winery, tasting some of Santorini’s wines. Santorini is rightfully known as one of the top spots for white wine in Greece, and has local grape varieties of extraordinary quality. We’ll visit the top winery, Argyros, with century-old vines. Setting sail in the afternoon, we’ll enjoy wines from the Santorini grapes as we cruise through the Cyclades to the Eastern Aegean islands.

Vakakis winery, Platanos winery lunch, Chios-Ikaria wines. This morning we’ll moor in the sleepy fishing village of Ormos before heading inland to visit the inspiring Vakakis winery. Then on to Platanos, its steep vineyard terraces seeded with White Muscat. Over an idyllic lunch we’ll taste a range of Samian wines. Our afternoon sail takes us to the Fourni Isles, rarely visited by tourists and an ideal spot for swimming thanks to its largely untouched beaches. Dinner tonight is paired with wines from Chios and Ikaria, both prized wines in ancient times.

Volacus winery, Andros lunch with Greek wines. Tinos is a holy island, said to be home to more than 700 churches. It’s also another wine hotspot, known for its Assyrtiko grape; one with extraordinary quality when grown in soils rich with volcanic ash, such as those on Tinos. In the morning we’ll visit emerging star winery, Volacus, before we set sail and moor near Andros for lunch, swimming, and a tasting of Greek wines from international grape varieties. In the afternoon we make a short sail across to Karystos on Evvia island.

Wine tasting at Kokotos Estate. Breakfast and disembarkation. For those not arranging their own onward transport this morning, we offer an optional tour of Athens including wine tasting and lunch at Kokotos Estate, followed by a transfer to Athens Airport. The Optional Excursion on the final day arrives at Athens Airport in time for flights after 18.00.