Your tour starts in Athens, where you will be treated to a private walking tour of the sites of ancient Athens and the Acropolis Museum, followed by an introduction to the “appetizer culture” of Greece at a local tavern. There we will share a meal of mezédes (small plates of appetizers) such as grilled sardines, keftedákia (small meatballs), saganaki (pan-seared cheese), or grilled eggplant with feta cheese, accompanied by our favorite Greek wines. You will continue your food and wine education with a very special evening hosted by a Master of Wine. There will be an introduction to the important indigenous grape varietals and major wine regions of Greece, as you enjoy a gourmet meal of Greek specialties. Accommodations: 5* luxury hotel in Athens City Center with wonderful Acropolis views from the rooftop restaurant.

Transfer by air from Athens to the vibrant city of Thessaloniki on the Gulf of Salonica where our group will visit a highly regarded, award-winning winemaker, wine tasting dinner featuring hosted by our Master of Wine, and a walking tour of historic Thessaloniki. From Thessaloniki, we transfer by small luxury bus to wine country, visiting top producers in Naoussa and Amyndeo, where we will be treated to exclusive vertical tastings and dine on Northern Greek specialties at some of Greece’s most renowned taverns. There will be time for relaxation in Nymfaio, one of the most beautiful villages in all of Europe. Visit the bear preserve, ride one of the village horses that roam its cobblestone streets, or savor a Greek coffee with a spoon sweet (fruit in syrup) at a café overlooking the valley. Guests who wish to end their tour after Northern Greece will transfer by air to Athens, with the rest of the group, the morning of Day 7.

We transfer by air from Northern Greece to Athens where we will catch our connecting flight to the volcanic island of Santorini. Discover the island’s magic as we visit wineries producing some of the best whites and sweet wines in southern Europe, walk the caldera rim, visit black and red beaches, sail into the dormant volcano and watch the orange-hued sunset from our hotel veranda overlooking the caldera. We will try our hand at preparing delicious Santorini specialties with a well-regarded island chef, and tour Akrotiri (an important and wealthy Bronze Age trading center), before transferring by air to Athens, where the second part of our tour ends.