Lefkada wine tasting runs in the hill villages inland from the coast, where small wineries pour the island varieties beside local cheese. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
A Lefkada wine tasting takes you to family wineries in the mountain villages, from the organic Siflogo winery at Platystoma and the Karsanikos winery in Karya to the free tour at Lefkas Earth above Sivota, pouring Vertzami, Chlori and other local grapes.
Where can you taste wine on Lefkada?
At the Siflogo winery in Platystoma, the Karsanikos winery in Karya, Lefkas Earth in Fterno above Sivota, the Vertzamo winery, the Zervas winery, and the Ktenas family’s Lefkas Distillery near the church of Santa Anna.
Siflogo and Karsanikos open for tours and tastings, with Siflogo by appointment.
Lefkas Earth runs a free tour of 20 minutes to an hour with tastings and a shop.
The food side sits at Lefkada food.
What is the Siflogo winery?
A family workshop of natural organic wines in the mountain village of Platystoma, run since 1994 by Dionysis and Maria Papanikolopoulou and their son Vasilis, making 7 wines and tasting them in an underground space.
Its reds come from Vertzami and Mavropatrino, about 8,000 bottles a year.
Its whites and oranges come from Vardea, Chlori and Asprovartzamo, about 5,000 bottles a year.
Tours explore the cellars and need an appointment.
What is Chlori?
A rare Lefkada grape that Siflogo makes into a living wine that evolves in the glass, described by the winery as a tribute to perseverance, tradition and the truth of place.
Siflogo lists Chlori among its whites and oranges.
It sits alongside Vardea and Asprovartzamo.
The recent vintage is listed on the winery’s site.
What is the Karsanikos winery?
A family winery in Karya run by the Rekatsina family, three generations working with grapes and wine for about a century, making Vertzami, white and rose wines and Epilogus from its own semi-mountainous dry vineyards, with tours and tastings open to the public.
Every stage of winemaking is carried out by family members.
The winery also makes tsipouro.
A visit adds the traditions of Karya.
What is Vertzami?
A red grape of Lefkada, made into a red wine at Karsanikos and one of the two red varieties at Siflogo, with the Vertzamo winery named after it.
Siflogo pairs it with Mavropatrino among its reds.
Asprovartzamo appears among Siflogo’s white and orange grapes.
Tastings on the island pour it.
What is Lefkas Earth?
Lefkaditiki Gi, a winery in the village of Fterno above Sivota that makes wines from local varieties and offers guided vineyard tours, professional tastings and a shop, with a free tour lasting from 20 minutes to an hour.
Visitors taste and buy wines from local selections.
The tour length depends on the time guests have.
The winery overlooks Sivota.
What other wineries are on Lefkada?
The Vertzamo winery, founded in 1965 and run by the Logothetis family, and the family-run Zervas winery, which makes boutique wines from rare Greek varieties with traditional and modern techniques.
The Ktenas family’s Lefkas Distillery makes boutique tsipouro near the church of Santa Anna.
Greeka lists Karsanikos and Lefkas Earth among the island’s wineries.
Siflogo and Karsanikos sit in mountain villages.
What is the waterfalls, winery and olive oil tour?
It pairs wine with the island’s olive oil.
The water side sits at Lefkada snorkeling.
Is there a sunset wine tour on Lefkada?
Nydri is a town on the east coast of Lefkada.
The sea in front of Nydri holds the islets of Madouri, Skorpios, Skorpidi and Sparti.
The evening on the water sits at Lefkada sunset cruise.
Where is Karya?
A village on the slopes of Pyrgos in central Lefkada at 500 metres above sea level, seat of a former municipality whose highest point is Mount Stavrota at 1,158 metres, and home of the Karsanikos winery.
The municipal unit covers 30.9 square kilometres.
A large part of its people live in the town of Karya.
The winery shows the village’s traditions to visitors.
How do you book a Lefkada wine tasting?
Book Siflogo by appointment, contact Karsanikos for a tour, drop in at Lefkas Earth for a free tour, or book the waterfalls, winery and olive oil tour online.
Siflogo requires an appointment for every tour.
The island hub sits at Lefkada.
Which grapes does a Lefkada wine tasting pour?
Vertzami and Mavrodafni in red, Vardea in white, grown on the hill terraces of the island interior.
Vertzami gives deep colour and is the variety the island is known for.
Vardea is the old white of the Ionian islands.
Vines share the terraces with olives and fruit trees.
Where do the wineries sit on Lefkada?
Inland above the east coast, around Lazarata, Karya and the villages on the slopes of the central ridge.
Those villages sit between four and six hundred metres above the sea.
The roads up from the coast climb in switchbacks.
Cooler nights at that height slow the ripening.
What happens on a Lefkada wine tasting?
A walk through the vineyard and the cellar, an explanation of the local varieties, then a seated tasting of four to six wines with cheese, bread, olives and cured meat.
Whites are poured first and reds after.
Family members lead most visits.
Bottles are sold at the estate.
How long does a Lefkada wine tasting take?
About two hours at one estate and half a day when the route adds a village stop or a second winery.
Transport is arranged from the coast resorts.
Groups stay small at the family estates.
Booking ahead matters in August.
When is the harvest on Lefkada?
In September, later than the Cyclades because the vineyards sit high and the island is greener and wetter.
The presses run through the second half of the month.
Spring shows new growth on the terraces.
Estates stay open for tastings through the season.
What food is served with a Lefkada wine tasting?
Local cheese, lentils from Eglouvi, salami from the island, olives, bread and honey.
Eglouvi lentils are grown on stone terraces high on the ridge.
The island salami is cured and peppery.
Honey comes from the thyme on the slopes.
Does a Lefkada wine tasting suit beginners?
Yes. Pours are small, the hosts explain each variety in plain terms and food is served alongside.
Spitting is offered and normal at a tasting.
Drivers are given water and food instead of full pours.
Tables are set outside under vines in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which wineries can you visit on Lefkada?
Siflogo in Platystoma, Karsanikos in Karya and Lefkas Earth in Fterno, with Vertzamo and Zervas among the island’s other wineries.
Is wine tasting free on Lefkada?
Lefkas Earth offers a free tour and tasting of 20 minutes to an hour.
What is the main red grape of Lefkada?
Vertzami, poured at Karsanikos and Siflogo.