Santo Wines.

2:51 AM |

The Santo Winery, which opened in 1992, is located in Pyrgos and enjoys spectacular views of the caldera and the Mediterranean Sea. A highly modernized winery where technological advancement is in total harmony with traditional methods, the Santo Winery is built on five different levels in keeping with the environment and the layout of the vineyards that are also cultivated at varying ground levels, often called as the "pezoules". This greatly saves on energy as the must is transferred by gravity alone without the need for pumps or other machines.

The winery opened as Santowines Oenotourism Center in 1992, and ever since, it receives over 80.000 visitors from around the world every year. A guided tour shows visitors the process of vinification and aging of wines, and there is a wine bar at Santo Winery, where visitors can taste the special wines that have received awards for its superior quality and taste. Among the Santo produce are a wide selection of dry whites: Santorini Assyrtiko and Santorini Nykteri, a dry white wine. At the wine showroom, visitors are shown a documentary film that traces the history of Santorini wines to the present.

The charming terrace with magnificent views can host weddings and private parties, and there is also a main room with a capacity of over 120 people for hosting seminars or other special events. An assortment of Vinsanto, the sweet dessert wine, is also produced here and includes a liqueur version, Vin De Liqueur.

 The Union of Santorini Cooperatives, named as SantoWines, was founded in 1947. Today, SantoWines, the biggest wine producer of the island, has approximately 2500 members that equals to the total number of the producers of the island, while 1000 of them are active.

Association's main activities are:

  Production, bottling and commerce of bottled and bulk wine.
  Production, canning and commerce of tomato products.
  Management of fertilizers, forages and agricultural equipment.
  Commerce of pesticides.

After the year 1980 the tomato production was reduced due to diminished yield, thus the main activity of SantoWines is now the wine production, bottling and commerce.

SantoWines has distribution network in whole Greece and exports its products to Europe (France, Germany), to the US, and to Canada.


from: greeka. com
& travel- to -santorini. com

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Wine Museum

3:38 AM |

Being the only one of its kind in Greece, the Koutsoyannopoulos Wine Museum occupies a natural cave. It is eight meters below ground, 300 meters long and has a labyrinth-like shape. It  presents the history of wine and the life of vine-growers in Santorini since the 1600s.
It took twenty-one years of hard work, patience and perseverance to create the wine museum.
During the tour, the visitors have the opportunity to see representations of the history of wine. An automatic audio guide is available in fourteen languages , and a guidebook is also available in twenty-two languages.

The stages of the winemaking process and the whole range of machinery are presented in chronological order. The visitors can experience the stages of pruning and ploughing of the vineyards, harvesting , stomping and weighing of the grapes. The rare exhibits, including winemaking machinery and tools, will take the visitors back in time to another era.

Lastly, the visitors will have the opportunity to taste four of the best wines that the winery produces today, in a specially designed wine-tasting area. In this manner, the visitors will keep the memory of travelling into the past alive.

The Cycladic culture, the process and the hardships of winemaking continue to captivate thousands of visitors each year.
Opening times
December to March
09:30-14:00 Monday to Saturday (Sunday closed)
April, May, November10:00-17:00 Monday to Sunday
June to October
10:00-19:00 Monday to Sunday
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Art space, at Exo Gonia.

3:16 AM |

A unique Art Center within the pumice rock-carved chambers of an old winery.
Art Space continues since 1999 till today its art activities and extends its hospitality to important artwork by Greek and foreign artists.

In this old winey dating back to 1861, representative works of art from sphere of painting and sculpture are on display, offering visitors the opportunuty to come close to contemporary Greek art and the course of artistic expression in Greece.

What is more, Art Space, in its endeavor to continue the winemaking tradition includes in its premises a modern winery offering renowned products of high quality.

Open daily: from 11 a.m. to sunset.


from: artspace- santorini.  com

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Vlihada beach.

2:15 AM |


Vlihada is one of the most beautiful beaches in Santorini, on the south side of the island around 14 km from Fira.
To get there you must take the road to Perissa and just before you reach Emporio village, where the road–sign is, turn right towards Vlihada. Free parking area also available on arrival.


The beach itself is rather long with beautiful black sand and brusque rocks in the backround, that resemble the famous Sarakiniko beach in Milos. As you arrive, there is the old tomato-processing factory above and underneath it, the developed and busy part of the beach. If you want to avoid the crowds and look for a peacefull enviroment, walk along to the far right side of the bay where it is quiet and nudism is allowed.
There is a small canteen on the beach and some shops a little further on, for drinks and basic things you might need when you’re there. Directly next to the beach there are also some small taverns and Vlihada’s marina, full of big leisure crafts and sailing boats. In the marina area will also find, the Santorini Yacht Club and the Amateur Fishing Club.


from: greecebythesea.  com

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Kasteli, at Pyrgos.

5:07 AM |

The castle could be only entered at one point, the 'Porta', above which obtruded a square structure with an opening at the bottom part from which the inhabitants of the castle could pour burning oil on invaders. This structure no longer exists. Like all the other castles of Santorini, one can find a church close the entrance, in this instance, the church of Agia Theodosia. Below the castle there used to be a system of passageways, used for protection or even escape in times of need.
Within the castle walls, on the west side, one comes upon the church 'Theotokaki' or 'Koimisis of Theotokou' (Assumption), believed to have been built in the 10th century. Through the years, many additions have been made to the church. The church houses valuable icons and a wooden temple. The main icon of the Assumption was stolen in 1983.
Also important is the Church of Eisodion of Theotokou, found at the highest point of the castle. It was built in 1660-1661, and on Easter Good Friday, the most important service of the Lamentations in Pyrgos is held there.
In the surrounding areas of Kasteli a new town has been built, which in the past was called 'Exoporta' or 'Outside Door' by the locals.
The square in front of the entrance of Kasteli was called 'Ypsilos Kafenes' or 'The Coffee Shop High Up', where the aristocrats used to gather. Nowadays the square houses a memorial plaque to those who fell in the Balkan and Greek Turkish wars of 1912 - 1921. The church of Agios Nikolaos can also be found in the square.
Pyrgos became the capital of Santorini after the abandonment of Skaros Castle in the mid 18th century, and before Fira, which is the capital of Santorini today.


from:  santonet.  gr

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Amoudi & Peramataris.

5:48 AM |

At Amoudi if you would like to take a swim, try out the tiny black-pebbled beach
that you will meet just before the tavernas. If you do not find any space there,
keep going along the dirt pathway after the lighthouse. This spot is ideal for diving
and make sure that you don’t miss the opportunity to swim to the opposite rock
in order to enjoy the view towards the rest of the island from the picturesque little  church of Aghios Nikolaos Peramataris.

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Agios Nikolaos (castle), at Oia.

5:14 AM |


In the Middle Ages, Oia was one of the 'Kastelia' of the island. It was called 'Kasteli' of Agios Nikolaos.
The castle's existence was already documented in 1480. Oia suffered harshly in the earthquake of 1956 and much of the traditional settlement tumbled into the sea below the caldera. Resplendent sanctuaries such as the church of Agios Georgios and Panagia of Platsanis were completely destroyed.


Nowadays the site of the Kasteli in Oia is a favourite spot for sunset watching.

from: santonet.  gr

 

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Tower of Nimborio, at Emporio.

3:47 AM |

The fortified Tower in Emporio is a square structure in the north part of the village. It was built under the Venetian Rule, probably in the 15th century. Tradition says that it was built by the monks of the Abbey of Agios Ioannis of Theologou in Patmos.
In reality, the tower, as a glebe of Patmos, was first used by the monks some time after its erection. Sources say that it was originally owned by the Dargenta family. There used to be a small chapel within the walls of the martyr Christodoulos, founder of the Abbey of Patmos, as well as a tunnel which led to the 'Kasteli' (castle).

from: santonet.  gr

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Goulas, at Akrotiri.

4:06 AM |



The tower is located on the top of the Castle of Akrotiri , that is to say in the centre of what was once a fortified settlement. Today, few fragments remain of the Castle, while the tower which dominates the hilltop exists in a much altered state due to the ravages of time and a devestating earthquake which occured in 1956.

During the middle ages, Akrotiri constituted just one of the five castles [kastelia] on the island and was named La Ponta, Latin for "the peak". During the Ottoman period the tower was called Goulas from the Turkish "kule" which means "Tower".

After the fall of Constantinople in 1204 to the crusaders, the sovereigns distributed the provinces of the empire. The Cyclades were awarded to the Venetians, and in 1207 Markos Sanudo founded the Duchy of the Archipelago.

It is speculated that the tower was erected in the beginning of 13th century by the Barozzis who controlled the island from 1207 to 1335 (with the exception of the period 1261-1296 when the island was recovered by the Byzantine emperor Michail Palaiologo). In 1335, the tower reverted to the sovereignty of the duchy of the Aegean, under the possession of the Duke of Naxos Nikolaos Sanudo who also occupied Santorini.

In 1336 N. Sanudo granted the building to the family Gozzadini, which had originated from Bologna. The fact that Gozzadini hailed from Bologna and not from Venice, which was at war with the Ottoman empire, in addition to the castle's fortifications allowed the family to maintain possession of the castle for a long period, even while the rest of the island fell under the Turks in 1566.

Finally Akrotiri did pass into the hands of the Ottomans in 1617 and remained in their possession until 1822, when it finally passed into the hands of the Greeks.


from: www. la ponta. gr





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