Koutsogiannopoulos Winery

Overview

In 1870 the brothers Grigorios and Dimitrios Koutsogiannopoulos, originating from Katavothra Molaon of the Laconia Prefecture (Peloponnese), arrived in Santorini by sailboat.

The sailboat was heading to the island of Syros which was a prospering commercial centre at that time. Instead of reaching Syros, the brothers disembarked on the island of Santorini due to strong west winds. Maritime trade was flourishing in Santorini; firstly, because there were many safe bays for sailboats around the volcano, and secondly and most importantly, because it was a transit route on the way to Crete and Egypt. Later on, wine trade relations were developed with Egypt.

From their very first contacts with the island, the young Koutsogiannopoulos brothers realised that Santorini presented great commercial interest which they decided to exploit, and started trading olive-oil that they transferred in wineskins from their home town. Their sharpness and hard work enabled them to develop, acquire real estate and sailboats and establish considerable financial standing within two decades, which was considered a remarkable achievement by the society of Santorini.