Mykonos: Traditional Farm Wine Tasting & Hotel Pickup

4.62

(124 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Ever wondered if Greek wine tastes different when you’re sitting under a fig tree, somewhere in the middle of Mykonos? I didn’t plan to find out, but here we were—picked up right at our hotel just after noon (you can go at 6pm too, but I’m more of a midday person), winding through the island’s dry hills toward Ano Mera. The bus ride was quiet except for the hum of cicadas and this salty breeze sneaking in through the window. I kept thinking about how different it felt from the crowded beaches—like we’d slipped into another version of Mykonos.

At the farm, Mr. Stathis Pasoglou—who everyone seems to know as “the sommelier”—greeted us with this big smile and a handshake that nearly swallowed my hand. He led us to what he called the “wine corner,” which was basically a shaded spot with old wooden tables and mismatched chairs. It smelled like herbs and warm earth. We tried four local wines; honestly, I lost track of which grape was which after the second glass because Stathis told stories about each one that made me forget to take notes. The white was crisp, almost lemony, and there was this red that tasted like sun-dried fruit—maybe figs? Or maybe I just had figs on my mind.

The snacks were simple but good—salty cheese, olives that tasted nothing like back home, bread with oil so green it looked fake. At one point Stathis asked if anyone wanted to try pronouncing “Assyrtiko.” Li laughed when I tried to say it in Greek—probably butchered it—and somehow that made everything feel lighter. There wasn’t any rush; people lingered over their glasses, talking quietly or just watching chickens wander past. I remember thinking how rare it is to actually slow down on vacation instead of just ticking things off a list.

I still think about that afternoon sometimes—the way the sunlight filtered through grape leaves and how even though we were only there for a couple hours before heading back (transfers included), it felt like we’d been let in on some small secret about Mykonos that most people miss.