Santorini One Sip at a Time: An Afternoon with SAFOWI

"The wine here is more than just chemistry, it's alchemy. It's an elixir"

- Phenix Gilbert, creator of SAFOWI Santorini Food and Wine Tours

On the Greek island of Santorini, there's a lot of talk about wine. Where ancient wineries abound, wine tours appear to be a dime a dozen. However, there is one tour that seems to stand out from the rest. American expat Phenix Gilbert shares her infectious passion for the island of Santorini through her food and wine tour company SAFOWI. Phenix has spent the past 18 years living in Santorini, and was one of the first to pioneer the wine tasting trend that has recently swept across the island.

As we winded through the scenic backroads of Santorini, she explained, "Some tour guides come straight off the boat from Athens, not knowing a thing about Santorini. But I fell in love with this island 25 years ago, and I want to share that with others." Phenix's enthusiasm for the wine and gastronomy of Santorini is indeed contagious, for we found ourselves mesmerized by how the history of the island has shaped its culture of wine.

Examining the amber hues of a 12-year-old Vinsanto at Estate Argyros

But what makes the wine of Santorini so special? Undoubtedly, it's the distinct assyrtiko grape. This indigenous grape has essentially defied all odds by flourishing in a notably harsh environment. It has an explicit bite to it though; assyrtiko wines won't taste like any other whites you've tried. Its high minerality and sharp acidity set it apart from other Greek wines. Much like the island of Santorini, it has a unique personality ."It's a very special grape in a very special place", Phenix reveals.

Tasting a crisp assyrtiko blend

The first stop on our tour was a local vineyard, where Phenix explained how archaic techniques are still used to cultivate the grapes. The growing and cultivation methods may be complex and time-consuming, but tradition is decidedly the foundation of the island's winemaking. As demand for Santorini's wine increases, these family-owned wineries will most likely continue to utilize their antiquated processing methods. According to Phenix, Santorini's high-integrity winemakers refuse to sacrifice quality for quantity.

After our cultivation crash course in the vineyard, we were taken to three different wineries scattered across the island. While there are an abundance of wineries in Santorini, Phenix hand-picked the best ones for us to visit. We chatted with the winery owners and learned about their histories and vinification processes while we sipped on their award-winning wines. At our final winery, we were treated to mouthwatering plates of meze, or Greek appetizers.

Assyrtiko whites weren't the only shining stars of our wine tour. We also tasted another ancient Santorini specialty, Vinsanto. This decadent "holy" wine was traditionally used in orthodox churches around the world. At our first winery, we even saw 100-year-old barrels that were used to ship Vinsanto to Russia! Although Vinsanto tastes like a rich, velvety dessert wine, surprisingly there are no sugars added. Vinsanto is made from late harvested grapes (predominately assyrtiko) that are dried in the sun for two weeks and then crushed - sometimes by foot! - before being fermented and aged in oak barrels.

Our Semi-Private Wine Road tour lasted four hours, and private transportation was included to all three wineries and back. If we hadn't taken this tour, we wouldn't have been able to visit these particular wineries on our own. Not only were all three wineries spread out across the island, but taxis on Santorini are sparse and we wouldn't have been able to drive ourselves with the amount of wine we consumed. Taking a private tour is the easiest and most enjoyable way to sample the island's best wines, and I couldn't recommend this one enough.


Overall, our tour gave us a comprehensive overview of the island's winemaking past and present. The extensive knowledge of our guide helped us to appreciate the complexity of Santorini's wines and enjoy the many flavors it has to offer. If you're interested in going beyond the typical tourist experience in Santorini, then wine tasting with SAFOWI is a must.

Phenix from SAFOWI graciously invited us on her tour, but all opinions expressed are my own. 
You can find out more about SAFOWI and their unique food and wine tours here.

Have you ever tried the wines of Santorini? What did you think?

Where's the most interesting place you've been wine tasting?

Lemon Coconut Sour Recipe

Greetings from Arizona! I'm currently in Phoenix visiting my mom & stepdad, and my vacation thus far has consisted of sipping cocktails in the pool and trying not to melt. I can't complain.

My mom moved to the desert only 9 months ago, but she hasn't wasted any time in creating refreshing cocktail recipes. I've been drinking her signature Lemon Coconut Sours almost every day since I've arrived! This cocktail hack is inspired by the PF Chang's original, minus all of the sugar and extra calories.

This cocktail is the perfect way to extend your summer and avoid the imminent arrival of fall. It's also shockingly easy to make. And it's got coconut water, so it's healthy... right?

Mix together:

Serve over ice and enjoy!

Recipe by the fabulous Linda Hendrickson

Neuschwanstein: A Bavarian Fairytale

I'd been dreaming of coming to this castle for 16 years. When I was 7 years old, my dad went on a business trip to Munich and brought me back a giant poster of Neuschwanstein Castle covered in snow. As he told me stories of his visit to the castle - which is most famous for being the inspiration behind Disney's Cinderella castle - I imagined myself as a princess frolicking through the snow towards my enchanted fortress. That poster has been hanging in our bonus room ever since.

The man who commissioned this castle, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was a bit of a character. Okay, well, maybe more than just "a bit". Some people still ascertain that he was a nut job. Who can know for sure? 

Back in the late 1800s, King Ludwig II spent all of his royal funds pursuing extravagant architectural and artistic endeavors. During his reign, he built three over-the-top castles: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. He also had a fervent obsession with the works of Richard Wagner. Inside Neuschwanstein Castle, you can find many vibrant frescos depicting scenes from Wagner's operas. 

Although he was well-loved by his Bavarian constituents, his lavish spending sent him into serious debt. His cabinet wanted to get rid of him, so they concocted accounts that portrayed Ludwig as mentally ill and therefore unable to rule. Although the king tried to argue against these accusations, he was quickly taken out of power. He mysteriously died the next day.

Despite King Ludwig II's soap opera story and dramatic demise, his whimsical ambitions made Neuschwanstein that much more unique. This fortress was the most breathtaking castle I've ever seen, and I don't think any other castle can quite compare. I suppose these were Ludwig's precise intentions. Little did he know!

Getting to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich:

- Buy a Bayern ticket at the nearest U-Bahn (subway) station. The Bayern ticket is valid for one day and costs 26€ for 2 adults. (You can use this ticket to get to the main train station, and also to take the bus to the castle and back.)
- Take the U-Bahn to the Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station)
- Take the train to Füssen (But be sure to ask the information desk which train to Füssen your Bayern ticket will cover. We tried to take the 8:53 train, but apparently our ticket wasn't valid for that particular train. The 9:53 train, however, is covered.)
- Enjoy the scenic train ride, which takes about 2 hours
- Follow the tourists and take bus 73 in the direction of Steingaden/Garmisch-Partenkirchen or bus 78 in the direction of Schwangau to the stop Hohenschwangau/Alpseestraße
- The buses will drop you off below the ticket office

Planning Your Visit:

- Pick up your tickets at the ticket booth no later than one hour before your tour
- Take the shuttle bus to Mary's Bridge (Marienbrücke) to see the views before hiking down to the castle. The shuttle bus picks you up in front of Hotel Lisl above the ticket office and costs 1.80€ for a one-way ride. The downhill hike is about 10 minutes long.
- Take the Neuschwanstein castle tour, which lasts for approximately 30 minutes
- Pack a lunch or snacks and have a picnic by the castle
- Take a horse-drawn carriage ride from the castle back down to the parking lot (3€) or take a scenic hike down (go back up to Marienbrücke and follow signs down to Pöllat Gorge)
- Take bus 73 or 78 back to Füssen
- Take the train back to Munich

Be sure to buy your castle tickets at least 2 days before your visit. 

I recommend buying them at least a week in advance here.

You can click here for more information on getting to the castle. 

*We wanted to allow ample time for exploring and taking photos, so we scheduled our tour for 2:25, took the 8:53 train to Füssen, and picked up our tickets at the ticket booth before 1:25. We could have taken the 9:53 train and been okay on time - and that train would have also been covered by our Bayern ticket. We got back to Munich just in time for dinner. Although it was a long day, we were glad we took our time so we didn't have to rush through the sights.

What is your favorite castle in Europe?