Estate Argyros - Volcanic Excellence

How to Complete

3 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. 🍷 1

   Hunt the 200-Year-Old Kouloura Vines

   wine $$

   The oldest parcels at Argyros predate Napoleon. They survived phylloxera because of a volcano.

   The kouloura basket - woven vine canes bent into a wreath-like basket 10-20cm off the ground. Grapes grow INSIDE the basket, shielded from Santorini's gale-force winds and sandblasting summer heat. The hollow center funnels dew to the roots. This technique is 3,000+ years old. At Argyros, the oldest parcels have been doing it for 200+ years - ungrafted, pre-phylloxera, because the volcanic pumice and ash prevented the root louse from ever arriving. These are among the last pre-phylloxeric vineyards in Europe. In the vineyard surrounding the modern 3000m2 winery at Episkopi, ask your host to point you toward the oldest parcels. Crouch down next to a basket-trained vine. Look INSIDE the wreath - grapes grow in protected shade. Touch the old wood. The canes are not staked to anything: they sit on volcanic black soil and survive on their own.

   🔄 BACKUP: Ask which parcel supplies the Cuvee Monsignori - those are the oldest vines. Tasting starts at €15 (4 wines, 60min) or €40 (7 wines, 90min, meats/cheese).

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2. 🍷 2

   Find the Vinsanto That Scored 100 Points

   wine $$

   The barrel vault that proved Greece could make the world's greatest sweet wine.

   The Argyros Vinsanto is aged 12-20 years in French oak barrels and received 100 points - among the first Greek wines ever to achieve that score. Yiannis Argyros (3rd generation, born 1974) spent his career proving two things no one believed: that Vinsanto could be world-class, and that Santorini Assyrtiko could AGE. The family has barrels in this cellar from successive decades stretching back into the 20th century. In the cave cellar beneath the tasting room, ask to see the aging vault during your tour. In the vault, count how many different vintage barrels you can identify. Ask: what is the oldest Vinsanto currently aging here?

   🔄 BACKUP: The tasting includes a Vinsanto pour at both tiers. Smell before tasting - look for dried apricot, coffee, honey, orange peel.

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3. ⛰️ 3

   Walk the Episkopi Vineyard - Largest Private Holding on Santorini

   Optional

   adventure Free

   120+ hectares under one family's care. Walk the estate before your tasting and understand the scale.

   Argyros is the single largest private vineyard owner on Santorini with 120+ hectares. For comparison: the entire island's PDO vineyard area is roughly 1,200 hectares. Argyros owns 10% of it. Walking the estate perimeter before tasting is free - no ticket required. The ocean view from the vineyard edge combines the black volcanic soil, the basket vines, and the Aegean horizon in one frame. Park at the winery (outside the main building at Episkopi) and spend 15-20 minutes walking the outer vineyard rows before your tasting appointment. The vineyards surround the 3000m2 facility - the caldera and ocean are visible from the vineyard edge. Find the contrast of the jet-black volcanic soil against the pale limestone ridge. This walk is free and requires no booking.

   🔄 BACKUP: If time is short, the tasting room window faces the vineyard - the view is included at no extra cost.

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