Moraitis Estate — Attraction in Paros Municipality

If I could give them 6 stars I would. We stumbled upon this winery after a series of wrong turns on the way to our Airbnb here in Naousa. At the time, the thought of a nice glass (or several) of wine after a stressful drive was welcomed, but after settling into our Airbnb and taking in the stunning vistas, we forgot about it. A few days later, when the weather was windy and we were looking for an activity, we remembered the winery and decided to check it out. Nestled on a beautiful piece of property on the edge of town, we enjoyed the tour of the quaint but historic vineyard. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly - clearly passionate about his craft. The tasting was even better - a delectable selection of wine from the vineyard that was both refreshing and rich - steeped in the history of the land. However, the absolute standout was the lunch afterwards. We weren’t expecting much but thought we’d have a quick bite after all the wine and were blown away. The food was fresh and immensely flavourful. My friend and I both agreed that the Parian Vegetables with Feta Cheese Doughnuts was one of the best meals we’d ever had - to the level that we came back the next night to have it again. Whatever you do - don’t miss out on...

This review will be in two parts because you can't talk about the Moraitis Winery without talking about Parian wine in general, and vice versa.

I would encourage anyone to visit the winery even if they don't drink wine. The gorgeous building located just ±100m away from the sea outside Naousa, and the interior is beautiful and a good example of – in my amateur opinion – a meeting of French aesthetics with Cycladic culture. The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable about the wine, which is good because if you've only been drinking wine outside of Greece, you're in for a treat with what cultivars Greece offers.

Wine drinkers who come to Paros, I beseech you: be adventurous. Drink local wine. Not only is it exceptional, and often unlike anything you'll find at home (I'm from South Africa, so wine is a big deal there), it's good for the local economy.

Sure you'll find a Sauvignon Blanc or a Merlot at a restaurant, but if you like white wine, try a Malagousia or Malagousia blend — e.g. Moraitis' Sillogi ("collection"). Red wine? Try their Erythro Tou Nisiou ("red of the island"). Not because they're similar, but because they're different. You might just find your next...

I had emailed them to prebook the wine & cheese tour, which included 5 wine and cheese pairings after the regular tour of the vineyard and grounds. The tour itself is fun and informative. You learn a lot about how wine is made and also how its different in Greece than in other arts of the world. I do recommend upgrading to the wine & cheese tour, because the regular tour only gives you 3 wines. The 5 wines that you get in the advanced pairing is also different from the ones you get in the 3 tasting, so you get to try some of their more premium wines. It was also great to have a piece of cheese that’s specifically paired to each wine. We had a lot of fun and ended up picking up a few bottles to take home. If you have any questions, you’re also welcome to ask at their bar counter. I had a question about their orange wine and they let us try it before buying it. We, of course, got it. If you’re a wine lover, I highly...