Gavalas Winery

Tried both the Explore Santorini and Premium & Rare tastings. The wines were solid, well-crafted and a good showcase of local varieties. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the tour, which would have added more depth to the experience. The food was okay, but nothing special or particularly memorable. Seating was also a downside, the wooden benches were quite uncomfortable, especially for a longer stay. Overall, a nice spot to try some quality Santorini wines, but the overall experience felt a bit incomplete.

Outstanding attentive wine tasting of 5 special wines. The wines were paired with food items done very well. Great ambiance. They have an old well that you can look down and see your reflection.

Excellent experience at this boutique family owned winery. Delicious wine and great atmosphere. We were even able to meet the owner, Mr. George, while there. Recommend making a reservation if possible, especially if you’d like an inside table. We did the premium and rare wine tasting and really enjoyed it. We thought the prices were very reasonable.

Gavalas we heard in advance of our Santorini trip is one of the oldest wineries in the town and is one of the must try wines. So we knew we had to go! We booked the Explore Santorini tasting experience a couple of months in advance of our trip. I recommend booking plenty in advance if you can as the winery is very small. We were greeted by one of their employees and were seated at one of the outdoor tables a few minutes later. They provide some light eats as well to accompany the wines. They then have a guide to provide a history of the winery and a tasting guide to each of the wines. It was very educational and all wines were really good! We bought 3 bottles of wine to take home with us to enjoy later to remember our trip. There were a few items that I thought were strange and would consider some negatives: -They don’t accept American Express in their location to purchase wines. It was strange because you could pay for the tour in advance with Amex, so that had me a little puzzled. -We asked for water between wine selections and then were charged a Euro or two for the water. It’s not so much about the charge, but it’s more so that wineries typically provide water during tastings (and it was done at another Santorini winery during this trip). And we purchased around 120 Euros in wine, so the water charge was nominal for the winery. Would we come back? Absolutely. And we love the wine and look forward to purchasing Gavalas wine when we get back home as well!

It was a great wine tasting with friendly explanations about the wines and the grapes. Some of the wines were really good. We got a tour at the winery, which is really small but it still nice. The place is quiet and romantic not many people get there. If you are looking for something more romantic I suggest coming in from the back gate of the winery, you’ll have to walk through beautiful and small traditional streets of Megalochori (in the images below).

Heard lots of good things from local taxi drivers and wine shop owners. Had an amazing experience at Gavalas, our hostess was extremely friendly and well versed in wine-lingo. I had such a good time learning more about Santorinian wine and its history. Would definitely recommend this gem!

Delicious wine tasting for an affordable price! The server gave us little booklets about the winery and wines as well as explained the wines to us. Even gave some complimentary cheese, croutons and olives. I'd recommend make a reservation

Nadia was so kind to accommodate our last minute walk-in for a tasting. She explained each of the wines in a way that was both informative and relatable and we loved all of them. Loved the cool indoor seating and the friendly staff, would recommend to any friend