Paros is the second wine producing island of the Cyclades after Santorini, and it is the one most visitors walk straight past. They arrive for the beaches, the marble lanes of Lefkes and the harbour at Naoussa, and they leave without ever tasting what grows here. That is a shame, because the vineyards of Paros are old, the grapes are native to this island and the people making the wine are almost all families who have been doing it for generations.
There are 4 wineries on Paros that welcome visitors for tastings and tours. This guide covers all 4, tells you honestly what each one costs, when it opens and whether you need to book, and then points you to the 3 best places in Naoussa and Parikia to drink Parian wine in the evening without driving anywhere.
Table of Contents
1. Moraitis Winery
Overall Information
Moraitis is the most important wine destination on Paros and 1 of the most historically significant family wineries in the Cyclades. It was founded in 1910 by Manolis Moraitis and is now in the hands of the 4th generation of the same family, with the brothers Theodoros and Savvas Moraitis running it today. The estate works a privately owned vineyard of more than 100 acres, growing the indigenous Parian varieties Monemvasia and Mandilaria alongside Assyrtiko and Malvasia. The old winery was renovated and has been open to visitors since 2001 as a working wine museum, with much of the original equipment Manolis Moraitis used still in place.
Location
On the road between Naoussa and Marpissa, at the quiet eastern edge of Naoussa, beside the beach of Aghioi Anargyroi. The address is Epar. Od. Naoussas to Marpissas, Naousa, 844 01, Paros.
How to Get There
Parikia is roughly 11 kilometres from Naoussa. A hire car is the simplest option and costs from about 30 euros per day. Buses run between Parikia harbour and Naoussa throughout the day in summer, and the winery is a 15 minute walk from the Naoussa bus stop. If you are staying in Naoussa you can very likely walk, as it is about 15 minutes from the old marina. A taxi from Parikia costs roughly 30 to 40 euros each way, which only makes sense for a group.
Services and Experiences
Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 in peak season. The visit starts with a guided tour of the vineyards, the historic cellars and the preserved equipment, covering the journey from harvest to bottling and how the old Parian methods sit alongside modern technique. The tasting follows. A package of 3 wines with home baked bread and local Parian cheese starts at 12 euros. A larger package of 5 wines with a wider spread of local food is 40 euros. Afterwards you can order by the glass from about 5.50 euros for a white. There is a proper food menu too, running from cheese platters and cold cuts through to grilled sea bass and slow cooked pork shank. Book ahead in July and August.
2. Ktima Roussos (Asteras Winery)
Overall Information
Ktima Roussos is the most exciting of the newer producers on the island. Konstantinos Roussos founded it in 2016, coming from a long line of Parian vine growers, and the first bottled wines appeared in 2018 under the guidance of the oenologist Ilias Roussakis. In under 10 years it has grown into an 18 hectare estate producing 7 labels across PDO and PGI designations, several of which have already won international medals. The varieties grown here are Monemvasia, Mandilaria, Assyrtiko, Malagouzia and both White and Black Aidani.
Location
In the area of Asteras, near the village of Isterni in the eastern part of the island. Isterni is quiet inland country, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, and the tasting area looks out over the estate vines.
How to Get There
A hire car or scooter is the practical answer, because Isterni is inland and poorly served by buses. The drive from Parikia takes about 20 minutes on the central road heading east, and it is a similar distance from Naoussa through the hills. The winery is signposted from the main road near Isterni and the team will send directions when you book. Several Paros tour operators include Ktima Roussos on guided wine excursions if you would rather not drive.
Services and Experiences
Open daily from 10:00 to 19:00 all year. The standard tasting covers 5 of the estate wines, including the Paros white made from 100 per cent Monemvasia, the Mandilaria and Mavro Aidoni red, the rosé, the Malagouzia and Assyrtiko white blend and the flagship Paros dry red. Each is paired with Parian cheeses, handmade organic breadsticks and dips. A guided tour of the production and bottling rooms is included, in English or Greek, and groups of up to 50 can be accommodated. Tastings start at 22 euros per person. You must book in advance, because the winery does not take payment from people who simply turn up.
3. Domaine Myrsini, Marpissa
Domaine Myrsini is the newest winery on Paros and the one to visit if natural wine is what interests you. Marie Astrid and Nicolas, who came to the island from Nantes with their family, established the estate in 2019 and planted 1.4 hectares in 2020, with the first vintage bottled in 2021. They also work older parcels high in the hills, and the red called Nées Rizes comes from vines planted above 500 metres. The varieties across the range include Monemvasia, Assyrtiko, Mandilaria and Vilana.
The farming follows organic principles with biodynamic practice, and they buy in only from small growers who work without herbicides or pesticides. In the cellar the approach is deliberately minimal. Fermentation runs on indigenous yeasts, the wines age on their lees, everything is bottled unfined and unfiltered, and sulphur is added only in tiny amounts at bottling. It is a genuinely different style of wine from anything else made on the island.
Do not confuse this estate with the unrelated Myrsini Winery in Ilia in the western Peloponnese. They share a name and nothing else.
Where it is. Marpissa, on the eastern side of Paros, roughly 25 minutes by car from Parikia and a similar run from Naoussa. The tasting area looks over the vines towards the sea.
What you get. The tasting covers 4 wines plus their natural sparkling pet nat, served with small plates from the garden and from Cycladic producers. It runs as a half day experience, is available in English, operates year round and starts at 35 euros per person. Booking is required.
4. Louridis Winery, Marpissa
Louridis is the quietest of the 4 and the most local in feel. Sofia and Nikos Louridis run it as a family business and built the winery, distillery and bottling plant at Marpissa in 2008, working privately owned vineyards on the eastern side of the island. They grow Monemvasia and Mandilaria and produce a dry white and a dry red, handling every stage on site from harvest and pressing through to bottling.
There is no polished visitor centre here and no set tasting package. That is precisely the appeal. If you want to see how wine is actually made on a Greek island by the people who own the land, this is where to go.
Where it is. Marpissa, on the eastern side of Paros, about 20 minutes from Parikia by car.
What you get. Open Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 14:00 and again from 18:30 to 20:30. You must telephone before visiting for a tasting rather than arriving unannounced. The number is +30 697 494 7740.
Also on the island
The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Paros has historically been 1 of the larger volume wine producers on the island alongside Moraitis. It is a cooperative rather than a visitor destination and does not run tastings in the way the 4 wineries above do, so treat it as background rather than somewhere to put on your itinerary.
Where to drink Parian wine without driving
If you are staying in Naoussa or Parikia and do not want to arrange a car, these 3 places will give you a serious education in Parian wine on foot.
Moraitis Vinotheque, Naoussa
The satellite wine bar of the Moraitis estate, in the heart of Naoussa at the edge of the old town. The list draws on the full Moraitis portfolio alongside a chosen selection of other Greek labels, with the acclaimed Assyrtiko, the Monemvasia whites, the Mandilaria reds and the aged Malvasia sweet wine all represented. It opens daily at 18:30 and stays open late, so it works either as a glass before dinner or as the whole evening. Light food pairings are available and the team will steer you by what you have been enjoying elsewhere on the island.
Koukos Wine Bar, Naoussa
Koukos sits above the old harbour, just across the bridge from the main part of the village, and the view across the water and the Venetian fortifications at sunset is as good as any on Paros. What sets it apart is that it pours wines by the glass in both 150ml and 75ml measures, so you can build your own tasting across several Greek varietals without committing to a full glass of each. The list reaches well beyond Paros into Crete, the Peloponnese and further. Open every evening in summer.
Levantis Garden Restaurant, Parikia
Levantis is a restaurant first, but the wine list is good enough to justify the trip on its own. It sits in a garden courtyard in the back streets of the Parikia old town, a short walk from the ferry port, and the cooking blends Greek, Mediterranean and Asian influences using local ingredients. The list champions Greek labels with real depth, and the Parian whites made from Monemvasia and Assyrtiko are particularly well covered. Open every evening. Reserve in advance.
Practical advice for a wine trip to Paros
Time your visit. May to October is the window. August to October is harvest, which is the most interesting time to stand in a vineyard, and also the time you are least likely to get a booking at short notice.
Book everything. Ktima Roussos will not take payment on the door, Domaine Myrsini requires a booking and Louridis wants a telephone call first. Only Moraitis is realistically walk in friendly, and even then not in August.
Plan by geography, not by name. Moraitis is at Naoussa. Domaine Myrsini and Louridis are both at Marpissa, roughly 10 minutes apart, so they pair naturally in 1 afternoon. Ktima Roussos is inland at Isterni. Trying to do all 4 in a single day means driving most of it.
You will need a car for 3 of the 4. Only Moraitis is reachable on foot or by bus without difficulty. If you would rather not drive, several Paros operators run guided wine excursions that cover the inland estates.
Learn 1 grape name. Monemvasia is the white that belongs to this island. If it is on a list, order it.
Ask for Liasto. It is the traditional Parian sun dried sweet wine, made from grapes left out in the sun. It is not on every list, but it is worth finding.
Naoussa is the base. Stay there and you can walk to Moraitis in the afternoon, call in at the Vinotheque in the early evening and finish at Koukos, without touching a car all day.
Are there wineries in Paros?
Yes. There are 4 wineries on Paros open to visitors: Moraitis at Naoussa, Ktima Roussos at Isterni, and Domaine Myrsini and Louridis at Marpissa.
What wine is Paros known for?
Monemvasia, the indigenous white grape, and Mandilaria, the indigenous red. The 2 are often blended into the Paros PDO red, which is unusual in pairing a white grape with a red.
Is Paros or Santorini better for wine?
Santorini is the more famous wine island and has more wineries. Paros is the second wine producing island of the Cyclades and is far quieter, so tastings are smaller, cheaper and more personal.
Do you need to book a winery visit in Paros?
For 3 of the 4, yes. Ktima Roussos will not accept payment on arrival, Domaine Myrsini requires a booking and Louridis asks you to telephone first. Moraitis takes walk in visitors outside peak weeks.
