Mikra Thira: the Winery Across the Water

The reverse postcard

Every Santorini terrace looks west at Therasia — the low, quiet island across the calderaThe flooded volcanic crater at Santorini’s center, rimmed by cliffs that hold Fira and Oia. Exactly two winery terraces genuinely face it — fewer than the brochures imply. that most visitors never resolve into a destination. Mikra Thira (“little Thira”) is the reason to finally cross: Therasia’s only winery, founded in 2017 by names that carry weight far beyond the Cyclades — Vangelis Gerovassiliou and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis (of Biblia Chora fame) with agronomist Sonia Vamvakouri — working old, ungrafted Therasian parcels that the modern wine boom entirely overlooked.

From its tasting terrace in Potamos, opened in 2023, you drink Assyrtiko while looking back at Santorini itself — Oia to Fira strung white along the cliff tops, the view none of the crowds photographing sunset have ever seen behind them. The flagship Terrasea entered the Great Greek Wines Hall of Fame in 2025; the setting entered ours the first time we stood there.

The ferry is the itinerary

Everything about visiting turns on water. The short crossing runs from Ammoudi port below Oia to Riva on Therasia — about 10 minutes, roughly €1, three times daily (recent pattern: early morning, early afternoon, late afternoon — verify the day’s times locally, they shift with season). A water taxi covers missed connections at around €40 each way, which converts a cheap day into a memorable invoice. The winery itself is open March–October, 9:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays, with booking required through their system and refunds only 48-plus hours out — so lock the tasting after you’ve locked the boat.

Experiences are tiered generously: the Experience tasting (€35, or €50 with a platter) pours three wines; Volcanic (€50/€65) goes five deep; and the Cycladic (€130) turns five wines and a full island spread into a two-hour lunch you’ll defend as the trip’s best decision.

Who should visit Mikra Thira?

This is the connoisseur’s detour and the crowd-allergic traveler’s reward — Therasia runs decades behind Santorini in the best possible sense (a few tavernas, donkeys with actual jobs, silence). It cannot fit a fixed group-tour schedule, which is precisely its charm and precisely why it appears only on our Private Cellar itineraries, where we build the day around the boats: morning crossing, long Cycladic tasting, and back to Ammoudi in time for an Oia evening — or paired the following day with the catamaran route that sails the same water you ferried across. First trip to the island’s wine? Start with the Caldera Classic on the main island; save Therasia for the trip you plan around wine on purpose.

What should I know before visiting Mikra Thira?

Mikra Thira is the only winery on Therasia, the quiet island facing Santorini across the caldera — founded in 2017 by Vangelis Gerovassiliou and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis with agronomist Sonia Vamvakouri, working old, ungrafted Therasian parcels. From the Potamos tasting terrace, open since 2023, you look back at Santorini itself, Oia to Fira along the cliff tops. Experiences run €35–130: the three-wine Experience at €35, or €50 with a platter; the five-wine Volcanic at €50, or €65 with food; and the €130 Cycladic, a two-hour lunch spread. Doors open March through October, 9:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays; winter happens by arrangement. Booking is required online, refunds apply only 48-plus hours out, and the ferry rules everything — about 10 minutes from Ammoudi to Riva, roughly €1, three crossings daily (verify times locally), so lock the boat before the tasting. The flagship Terrasea entered the Great Greek Wines Hall of Fame in 2025. Only our Private Cellar itineraries make the crossing.