Éxo Goniá: Wine, Village Church and Santorini Cuisine

Éxo Goniá is a small village built amphitheatrically on a hillside. Its parish church, wineries and a cooking class bring different cultural and culinary accents to a stay. Particularly striking is the history of a stone building that was transformed from a tomato-processing plant into a modern winery.

Wine and history

In Vrachies, Éxo Goniá, GAIA Wines is based in a stone building that was once a tomato-processing plant dating from the early 20th century. GAIA Wines converted it into a modern winery. The building’s former use and its present-day function thus meet in one place.

During the summer season, visitors can taste wines from Santorini and Nemea at GAIA Wines. Among the Santorini wines, particular attention is given to the different expressions of Assyrtiko. Each tasting lasts about an hour and is intended for both individual visitors and small groups.

A different perspective is offered by a tour of the Artemis Karamolegos winery in Éxo Goniá. Visitors walk through vineyards and wine cellars and learn more about the individual stages of winemaking, from cultivation and fermentation to ageing. The tasting and tour thus have different focuses: one centres on the wines, the other on the production process.

Village church and hillside setting

Agios Charalambos is the parish church of Éxo Goniá and one of the three largest churches on Santorini. Together with the village’s amphitheatrical layout on the hillside, it shapes the character of this small village. Its status as a parish church is part of the village’s character, while its size also connects it to Santorini as a whole.

Cooking as a shared experience

At Aroma Avlis cooking classes, participants can use vegetables from the garden, prepare their own meal and then enjoy it in the restaurant. Preparing the food is just as much a part of the experience as sharing the meal. If you would like to include this activity in your plans, ask the restaurant directly whether a cooking class is available.

Santorini in a broader context

Beyond the village, Santorini offers other themes to consider when planning a trip. The island is the southernmost of the Cyclades. Its caldera was formed by a massive eruption around 1600 BC, and the island group is characterised by landscapes with active volcanoes. This geological history gives the destination a different emphasis from the village and wine experiences in Éxo Goniá itself.

Different routes also reveal different perspectives on Santorini: a path along the rim of the caldera runs from Imerovigli to Oia and offers views of the sea, caldera and volcano. Hiking trails connect Pyrgos with Profitis Ilias, Emporio and Ancient Thera. Those interested in culture will find remarkably well-preserved Minoan frescoes and buildings buried beneath volcanic ash at Akrotiri. In Pyrgos, the ecclesiastical collection opened as a permanent exhibition in August 1997; the settlement was designated a protected settlement in 1995.

The cuisine also offers special discoveries. Santorini Fava is a PDO product made from the cotyledons of the legume Lathyrus clymenum L., which grows exclusively in the volcanic soil of Thera. The Santorini tomato is also a PDO product and has been cultivated since the beginning of the 19th century. Local chefs use it to make tomato fritters called Tomatokeftedes.

Choosing the right holiday rental

Your preferred focus is a good starting point when choosing a holiday rental: would you like Éxo Goniá—with its village character, parish church, wine and cooking experiences—to be at the centre of your stay, or would you rather discover Santorini mainly through its landscapes, culture and cuisine? Weighing up these interests can help you narrow down your search for a suitable place to stay.

Discover more destinations: Perissa, Imerovigli, Akrotírion, Alopronoia, Folegandros, Megalochori, Vlychada, Pyrgos.

Back to the main travel guide: Santorini.