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Are you in search of local wineries to check out during you next visit to Naxos? My husband and I were in the exact same boat, especially having just enjoyed numerous winery visits on Santorini. Surprisingly, we could only find one Naxos winery that offers tastings.
That small winery is Saint Anna, and we gave it a call while lounging at golden Plaka Beach. The plan was to swing by after for a quick tasting, as we had done on Santorini. However, this was not to be.
Rather, the individual we spoke with penciled us in for a two hour tasting at 6 pm that evening. I wasn’t upset that this experience would be more than I’d bargained for, involving eight wines and a tour. We had no other plans that night, so we happily embraced spontaneity and looked forward to what this tasting would bring.
The Ultimate Naxos Winery Experience
Saint Anna Winery is only a fifteen-minute drive from the Naxos Chora (town center). Therefore, we added in a stop to see the Flerio Melanes Kouros along the way. This resulted in twenty minutes of twists and turns on the drive between the Kouros and our exciting Naxos winery visit.
Once at Saint Anna Winery, it wasn’t too difficult to find its modest driveway and there were signs as we got close. It looks like, and technically is, someone’s home, but don’t be afraid to pull right into the driveway and park.
Who is Manolis Petrakis?
After exiting our rental car, it didn’t take long to be greeted by a lone individual, who approached with a friendly demeanor. This would be the proprietor of the winery: 28-year-old Manolis Petrakis.
We had the treat of being his only guests for that evening, so we received his undivided attention. After introductions, Manolis got us started with the tour, where he held back nothing in demonstrating his passion for the winery.
Throughout the evening, Manolis went into great detail in describing his production process, while weaving little bits of his own story and family history throughout. He wants his guests to understand the labor of love that began when he was eleven, and how it was inspired by his grandparents.
Being winemakers themselves, they instilled their love for the craft in Manolis throughout his youth. This turned into a passion that drove him to purchase his grandfather’s childhood home in Naxos as a young adult. Today, he lives alone in the home to focus entirely on fulfilling his dream of running his own winery on Naxos.
Saint Anna Chapel
Perhaps the most surprising part of the winery tour was a visit to the tiny white chapel that sits on the property. Named Saint Anna Chapel, it is the namesake of the winery, and dates back to the 9th century AD. Even cooler – it retains its original frescoes, which local experts are still in the process of uncovering.
The chapel is truly a treasure and hidden gem and brings a visit to this winery even further above and beyond what you’d typically expect. It’s astounding to me how history is literally oozing from every corner and crevice in countries as old as Greece.
The Gardens
Just as previous generations grew vegetables on the property, Manolis continues to do the same today. He talks about the various levels of gardens that his ancestors painstakingly carved into the hillside to grow olives, tomatoes, peppers, melons, and more. These vegetables are also part of the snacks for the wine tasting.
Grapes, of course, grow here too, but not nearly enough to sustain the wine production. Rather, Manolis sources most of the grapes from locations throughout the Cyclades, including vineyards on Paros and Naxos.
Some of the grapes grow on vines near the sea, while others come from the mountains. Manolis will explain this as you’re tasting, so you can find the differences. The growing conditions definitely impact the flavor notes!
The Winery
Other than procuring the grapes, the rest of Saint Anna’s wine production takes place right at the winery. It is essentially a one man operation, with Manolis overseeing everything from separating the grapes from the stems to finally bottling and labeling the wine.
Our tour began on the roof of a small building near the driveway of the property. The roof was entirely covered in grapes, which were spread out in order to dry in the sun. This process helps increase the sugar content in the grapes, which makes the wine sweeter and potentially more potent.
Next, Manolis led us behind the fermentation building to see where he separates the grapes from the stems, and then how he extracts the juices. There is a separation machine for the former, but he uses a wine press for the grape juice. It might seem manual, but the wine press is an advancement from the tub Manolis showed us, where he used to physically step on the grapes.
The last stop before tasting was the fermentation room, which has several stainless steel tanks filled with various wines. Manolis tastes each wine every day as they ferment, and as often as every two hours for sweet wines. I was very impressed by this painstakingly close attention to detail and how dedicated he is to his craft.
The Tasting
After this enlightening tour, it was time to finally taste the wines. By now, after learning about all the work that goes into each bottle of wine, it seemed impossible that they wouldn’t be good. However, I still feared I wouldn’t like them, as that would seem like a betrayal after listening to Manolis’s compelling story.
As our laid back, slow-paced tasting began, and I was relieved to find my fears unfounded. The eight delicious wines were paired with small hors d’oeuvres, including homegrown olives and vegetables and locally sourced Naxos cheeses. While we enjoyed each pour, Manolis showed us a slideshow that helped illustrate his production process.
I’ve listed the wines we sampled below, which were largely on the lighter side:
- Dry white
- Semi-sweet white
- Dry red
- Semi-sweet red
- Rosé
- Sweet white wine
- Sweet red wine
- Raki
All were aged in stainless steel and came from relatively young vines. Manolis’s newest creations are the sweet wines, which he called his babies. We left with a bottle of the rosé, as well as a small complimentary bottle of olive oil. I would have bought more if there was space in our suitcase!
How to Book a Tasting at Saint Anna Winery in Naxos
As the winery has become more established, Manolis has been able to make some improvements to the booking experience. Whereas we had to call for an appointment a couple years back, now you can simply book the tour of your choice on the winery’s website.
Prices run €40 for a traditional tasting and tour where you might be with other guests. For a slightly longer private tasting and Vineyard estate tour, the cost is €75. Knowing how welcoming Manolis is and how well he conveys his passion for the wines both in the bottles themselves and through his tours, you really can’t go wrong with either option.
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In conclusion, Saint Anna Winery is a must-do on Naxos, and should be on every visitor’s itinerary. With the winery being only fifteen minutes from Naxos Chora, it is easy to visit for tasty sips and amazing hospitality. Plus, it is a local, authentic experience that will make you feel a closer connection to the island.
Saint Anna Winery is definitely on my list to visit again in the future. If Manolis could accomplish all this by age 26 (his age during our 2021 visit), I’d love to see what he can do in the next five years!
