From Athens, there are ferries, island-bound flights, and small luxury yachts as options to explore the thousands of islands in Greece. To better understand Greek wines, a group of 25 passengers boarded a cozy cruising yacht at the port of Piraeus for an inaugural wine cruise. The focus was island viticulture and tasting wines of Greece, and the yacht, operated by Variety Cruises, offers the ultimate oenophile’s dream-come-true on the Aegean Sea. Led by U.K.-based wine expert Tim Clarke, the itinerary was created to educate passengers on how Greek wines vary from island to island. With approximately 300 grape varieties and almost 10 island stops, the tasting experiences titillated palates while learning about interesting winemaking techniques such as the basket vine used in Santorini, and Liasto, a sun-dried sweet wine process, which added to the excitement.

As Harmony G motored past one of the most notable monuments of the Golden Age of Athens— the Temple of Poseidon— guests sipped a 2019 Avantis Syrah from the island of Evia. This red wine didn’t hold back on its tannin structure and complexities that included black pepper on the palate with a lingering finish of cinnamon and cranberry. Food pairings included stuffed veggies, lamb sausage, and chicken leg with broccoli salad and Greek honey-drizzled desserts.

While each island stop proved fascinating, it was the smaller islands that made this journey so unique. These stops included a joyous morning at Milos, where we took a morning kayak near the caves and then swam in the Aegean Sea. And on a visit to a vineyard in Monemvasia, we walked uphill and through a castle situated with restaurants and shops. Another stop was to view the ruins in the Citadel of Mycenae.

One of the last stops was a quick evening to walk around on the island of Spetses, a place I’ll return someday for a longer visit. Here are the highlights of islands where we stopped, sipped, and explored.

TINOS

The Aegean sea’s azure is overstated against bleached stone cliffs as the Harmony G motored southeast of mainland Greece, in the Cyclades of the Aegean to the island of Tinos. This archipelago is closest to Mykonos and home to more than 700 churches.

Out of seven wineries established on Tinos, the owners of Volacus climbed aboard to share their wines during dinner of avgolemono soup (chicken, lemon, and rice), a perfect pairing with a Vivlia Chora Ovilos white Bordeaux-style blend of Semillon and Greece’s signature Assyrtiko grapes of Northern Greece. Its bouquet of fresh-picked honeysuckle led to a creamy almond palate with a finish of cantaloupe. An organic Malagousia, considered the “Cinderella of Greek wine production,” hails from the Gardari area, where its rough soil and climate leads to surprising results. Initially, the wine presented some fizz, but it dissipated and transitioned to a mild wine with a spicy finish. Finally, an immature Assyrtiko of Volacus offered a bright acidity and lots of power, thanks to a two-month late harvest.

A post-dinner rendezvous through the busy street nightlife led our small group of passengers on a quick jaunt uphill to Our Lady of Tinos, a church surrounded by spectacular statues that depict the history of this island. We didn’t have much time to explore, so this island would be noted as one worthy of a return.

SAMOS

Inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC, the island of Samos has become one of the greatest centers of Ionian civilization, with a long history of its maritime and mercantile strength. It’s also where cypress, olive trees, and chamomile thrive, and where intellects of the world’s culture once resided, including Pythagoras, Epicurus, and Aristarchus. It’s the discovery spot of the temple of Hera, which is on display at the Louvre in Paris, and renowned physicist, Pythagoras, resided here before leaving for southern Italy, where he died.

Balkan oak barrels are the preferred aging vessels, and there is a lot of Liasto going on here. This winemaking method is used to make sweet wine. For one week, grapes are laid one layer thick under the sun and moon on plastic nets recycled from olive harvests. Only the golden grapes are picked; green ones are left behind. They are then pressed to that sticky toffee pudding final product. Fig is the predominant flavor, but also golden raisins, dates, and olive, some prunes come through the flavor profiles.

At Vakakis Winery, a Music of the Spheres sweet wine made from sun-dried Fokiano is rose amber in color, with an aroma of prunes and palate of dried figs and dates, with a finish of golden raisin. When paired with blue cheese and a walnut salad dessert plate, the taste is blissful. This dessert wine was oaked for three years and awarded a gold medal. A few more Vakakis wines worthy of a mention include Theorem Dry White Muscat for its barely-there floral bouquet, hint of creaminess from time spent on the lees, and slight minerality. Pyramid Black & White Muscat Rosé is amber/pink in color, with an aroma of rose petals and taste of pomegranate and melon finish.

Lunch at Orizontas is a drive to the Karlovassi Village high up on Platanos, and if you’re visiting in September, you’ll most likely get a view of the grape harvest below. Lunch begins with an aperitif similar to sticky toffee pudding before a serving of giouvetsi -- a homemade pasta with Gruyere cream and a goat ragu. A Nemea-produced Palivou Viognier was also served and proved a memorable taste.

SANTORINI

One of the most recognized and visited islands, Santorini (also referred to as Thira), is sited in the Southern Cyclades islands of Greece, where the Caldera, a cavernous body of water, was created by a volcanic eruption in 1612 BC – one of the largest volcanic eruptions ever recorded on Earth. As a result, mineral springs run under the sea in areas a noticeable cornflower blue. The historic ride of choice for locals on this land of cliffs were mules. Today, tourists can opt to take a cable car ride down the steps or take a donkey ride down to the port from Fira, the capital of Santorini.

Due to its high altitude from the sea and its volcanic soil, Santorini was the only Greek island unaffected by phylloxera. Its viticulture is restricted to planting 30 indigenous varietals, 80 percent being Assyrtiko grapes that thrive high above the cliffs in the salt and smoky volcanic soil. In fact, Santorini wines put Greek wines in the forefront of the world wine stage, thanks to wineries that include Bhotari, Gai’a, and Argyros, among more. For a land that has been cultivated for over 4,000 years, it’s one of the oldest winegrowing regions in the world, yet it’s a relative newcomer to the U.S.

PDO Santorini, one of only 33 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) in Greece, offers Santorini Assyrtiko, Santorini Nykteri, and Vinsanto wines.

WINE RECOMMENDATION: Assyrtiko is the primary grape varietal indigenous to the island – and the most familiar in the U.S., especially as a summer white wine. One wine to try in the U.S. would be a 2022 Gai’a Assyrtiko Wild Ferment. This is a mineral-driven white made with native yeasts for fermentation. A 12-hour skin maceration is attributed to its bright golden tone, and it has a bouquet of flint and white flowers, a taste of honey, and it offers a perfect balance of acidity – age in the cellar for a few years to taste its complexities at best. It’s one of the top quality Assyrtiko wines to enjoy the taste of Santorini and is best served decanted. $49/bottle

Estate Argyros is elevated on the cliffs of Santorini in the driest spot within Europe, on soil of volcanic rocks and ash so crumbly it doesn’t retain any water. The century-old vines at Argyros are trained in a basket weave method low to the ground. The leaves protect the grapes from the strong sunlight and also retain the night mist carried over by the Meltemi winds. When the vines are pulled from the soil, they look like works of art.

WINE RECOMMENDATION: 2019 Estate Argyros Cuvee Evdemon PDO Santorini, produced from grapes grown on vines at least 150 years old and in a biodynamic style according to the phases of the moon. The winemaking process included time spent in stainless steel tanks on the lees, with a small percentage in oak barrels. This is a wine that can be aged 15 years-plus! $57/bottle

NEMEA

Before returning to Athens, we stopped in Nemea. This land is in the Peloponnese, and beginning in 573 BC, and every two years, Nemean games were played in the temple of Nemeos Zeus. Forty-thousand spectators attended these games where the winners were crowned with a celery wreath and their names engraved on the rocks of the stadium. The winemaking success here is attributed to the high altitude of the vineyards.

A visit to Semeli Estate will surely wow your senses – and is an estate where guests can book a stay.

When you plan your visit to explore Greek wines, be sure to spend some time on the mainland. For recommendations on where to stay, play, and dine, click HERE.

Charlene Peters is a travel and wine writer with a published book, "Travel Makes Me Hungry."