Gourmet Journey: 12-Course Lunch, Wine Tasting & Culinary Session

The best part of this Rhodes outing is its generous mix of food, wine, and local know-how. You walk among the vines, see how grapes become wine and spirits, prepare traditional dishes with host Jason, then sit down to a long Greek lunch served in the countryside. The meal is the star, and the family-run setting gives the afternoon a warm, personal feel.

I like the comfortable port or hotel pickup and the way the tour gives you a break from Rhodes’ ruins and busy streets. I also like the chance to taste souma and tsipouro, local spirits made at the distillery, rather than stopping at standard wine samples. The main consideration is that the cooking part may be fairly simple, with ingredients prepared in advance, and one traveler noted that the actual winery facilities were not fully shown.

Key points at a glance

• A full Greek food spread: The experience is promoted as a 12-course lunch, while the detailed description repeatedly calls it an 11-course meal. Expect a very substantial table of traditional dishes.
• Hosted by Jason: He is described as a second-generation winemaker who leads the vineyard talk, tasting, and culinary session with humor and clear explanations.
• Wine and spirits included: You taste several Greek wines, with one account describing five wines, plus a house-made spirit such as souma or tsipouro.
• About 30 minutes from Rhodes port: Air-conditioned transport is provided from the cruise terminal or hotel, with return transport timed around your ship.
• Cooking with grape leaves and more: The hands-on section can include dolmades, eggplant salad, and tzatziki.
• A relaxed countryside pause: You eat on a shaded terrace overlooking the vines and rolling hills, away from the main sightseeing crowds.

A half-day in the Rhodes countryside

This four-hour experience is built for people who want to eat well but also understand what is on the plate. It is not only a winery visit and not only a cooking class. The afternoon moves from grapes, to fermentation, to tasting, to cooking, then to lunch.

You pay about $155.68 per person. That is not a low-cost meal, but the price includes transportation, a vineyard and distillery visit, wine tasting, a culinary session, a large lunch, and wine with the meal. For a cruise passenger, the value improves because you do not have to arrange a taxi to the countryside or worry about getting back to the ship.

The outing is offered in English. Pickup is available from your ship or hotel, and the advertised start time is only an estimate. Your exact pickup time and meeting spot arrive by email or message, so check those details at least 12 hours before departure.

Leaving Rhodes Port for the vineyard

If you arrive by cruise ship, the day begins at the pier of the Rhodes cruise terminal. A driver meets you there and takes you into the countryside, a ride of roughly 30 minutes each way.

That transfer matters. Rhodes is easy to explore on foot around the medieval city, but a vineyard visit is a different sort of outing. You get open views, quieter surroundings, and a look at the island beyond the standard port circuit. The transport has been described as a comfortable, air-conditioned Mercedes van or shared taxi, depending on the group and arrangement.

You should treat the pickup time as important. The tour provider says the displayed start time may not match your actual departure, since ship and hotel pickups vary. Read the final message carefully for the vehicle information, signage, and exact location.

Cruise passengers should also tell the operator their ship details and allow time for disembarkation. The provider has experience arranging the return around ship schedules, but you still need to be ready at the stated pickup point. A tour that includes wine is no help if you miss the all-aboard call.

Walking the vines and learning the wine process

At the vineyard, the first serious subject is grape growing and wine production. You go among the vines while the host explains how the grapes are managed and how the process continues after harvest.

One useful detail is the attention to local grape varieties. This is not presented as a generic lesson in European wine. The discussion connects the bottles to Rhodes, the island’s growing conditions, and the family’s own production.

The vineyard is described as small and carefully kept. That scale can be a plus if you prefer a personal visit over a large commercial winery. You may see grapes on the vine, depending on the season, and the setting includes views over the vines and rolling hills.

The tour then moves into the distillery. Here, you learn how fermentation and distillation turn molasses into spirits such as souma and tsipouro. These names may be unfamiliar if your experience with Greek drinks begins and ends with retsina, so this part adds something less expected to the tasting.

There is one limit to keep in mind. The experience description promises a look at the distillery process, but one account found that the actual winery facilities were not fully shown. If machinery, cellars, and production rooms are your main reason for booking, keep your expectations modest. The emphasis is more on explanation, tasting, and the family’s story than on a large industrial tour.

Tasting five Greek wines with Jason

Jason leads the wine tasting and is frequently praised for his easy humor and clear presentation. He is described as a second-generation winemaker, and that family connection gives the talk a personal angle. You are not simply handed glasses with a list of tasting notes. The aim is to explain how vinification changes the final wine.

One tasting included five wines, mostly crisp whites. The exact selection can vary, but the larger point is that the tasting has enough range to make the discussion worthwhile. You can compare the wines and consider how grape type and production methods affect aroma, body, and finish.

I like that the tasting is tied to the earlier vineyard walk. You first hear about the grapes and production, then taste the result. That simple order helps the information stick.

Jason’s style also seems to be part of the appeal. The afternoon is not meant to feel like a formal exam in wine. You can ask questions, listen to his stories, and enjoy the setting. His humor is repeatedly singled out, which is useful to know if you prefer a lively host to a very technical lecture.

Wine is included with lunch, too. If you do not drink alcohol, the supplied information does not specify a nonalcoholic alternative, so ask the operator before booking if that matters to you. The experience also includes water, according to one account.

The cooking session: useful, social, and fairly simple

After the wine portion, a cook joins the group for a lesson in traditional Rhodes dishes. You participate in preparing food rather than watching a long demonstration from a distance.

Examples include dolmades, eggplant salad, and tzatziki. Dolmades are the most hands-on task, since you need to assemble the grape leaves around a filling of pork, beef, and rice. It is a small job, but it gives you a feel for one of the techniques behind a familiar Greek dish.

The class is social and photo-friendly. You work alongside the other people in the group, follow instructions, and help prepare several dishes before lunch.

It is important to understand what this class is not. The ingredients may already be chopped and measured, and the main work can involve adding and mixing rather than making every part from scratch. One account found the class a little pointless for that reason. If you want a serious chef’s workshop with knife skills, sauces, timing, and complex methods, this may feel light.

I see the session as a pleasant introduction rather than a professional cooking course. You get recipes to use at home, learn how some traditional dishes are assembled, and share a task before sitting down to eat. That is enough for many people, especially if the meal is your main goal.

Lunch on the shaded terrace

Lunch follows the cooking session, and this is where the experience earns much of its price. The table is presented as a traditional Rhodes meal with 11 courses in the detailed description, although the product title calls it a 12-course lunch.

That discrepancy is worth noting before you book. The supplied itinerary says 11 meals several times, and individual accounts also describe an 11-course lunch. I would plan for 11 courses and treat the title’s 12 as a labeling inconsistency, not as a promise of one extra dish.

The meal is served in a Greek tapas style, with many plates rather than one large main course. This lets you sample a broad range of island cooking. The food has been described as homemade, fresh, elegant, and deeply flavored, with enough to go around.

You might taste dishes prepared during the class alongside other traditional foods from the kitchen. The available information does not provide a fixed menu, so you should not book expecting a precise list of dishes. It does specify a strong focus on traditional Rhodes cooking and a wide variety, including options for people who do not eat meat.

The terrace setting adds to the meal. You sit in a shaded outdoor area looking across the grapevines and hills, rather than eating in a crowded port restaurant. After a morning of historical sightseeing, that slower pace can be just what you need.

Wine is served throughout lunch. This is a generous inclusion, but it also means you should pace yourself. The tasting, spirits, and unlimited wine can add up over several hours. Water is available, and taking breaks between pours will help you enjoy the food and remain comfortable for the return ride.

A family business with a personal touch

The vineyard is run as a family business, and Jason’s mother has also been involved during the visit. That detail changes the feel of the afternoon. You get a sense of a working local enterprise rather than a staged attraction built only for cruise excursions.

Other members of the team, including Dimitra and Alex, handle communication and transport arrangements. The available information describes them as friendly, helpful, and punctual in their messages. That is useful when you are arranging a countryside outing from a ship and need clear pickup instructions.

Jason is the main personality during the vineyard, wine, and food portions. He speaks three languages fluently, according to one account, and his approach is both informative and relaxed. The humor matters because the schedule includes a lot of explanation. A dry lecture about fermentation could make four hours feel long. A host who keeps the group laughing makes the same material easier to enjoy.

Timing, group size, and comfort

The complete experience lasts about four hours, including roughly 30 minutes of transport to the vineyard, three hours at the site, and about 30 minutes back to Rhodes port. That gives you enough time for each part without turning the outing into a full-day commitment.

The maximum group size is listed as 999 people. That figure is a booking-system limit rather than a useful picture of the actual group, since the experience uses shared transport and a family vineyard setting. You should expect the possibility of a mixed group, not necessarily a private tour.

The available accounts describe both a group of 10 and smaller personal visits, so the size can vary. Ask the operator if group size is a deciding factor for you.

Most people can take part, and the activity is near public transportation. The information does not list detailed accessibility specifications, so contact Telia Travel before booking if you need particular vehicle or site arrangements.

Good weather is required. If poor weather cancels the outing, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not reached.

Is the $155.68 price fair?

At first glance, $155.68 is a lot for a four-hour lunch. I would judge it as a package rather than as a meal alone.

You are paying for round-trip transport, a vineyard visit, a distillery explanation, several wine samples, a cooking activity, a large Greek lunch, and wine served with that lunch. For a cruise passenger, the transport and schedule support remove two practical chores. You also avoid paying separately for a restaurant meal and a taxi into the countryside.

The value is strongest if you will use every part of the package. If you do not drink wine, care little about vineyards, or want a serious cooking course, the cost is harder to justify. If you want local food, a relaxed setting, and a guided look at Rhodes winemaking, the combination is more convincing.

I would also compare it with what you plan to do in port. A morning at the Acropolis of Lindos or a long walk through Rhodes Old Town gives you history and architecture. This outing gives you food culture and rural scenery. It works best as a change of pace, not as a replacement for seeing the island’s major historic sites.

Who should book this Rhodes food tour?

I would choose this experience if you enjoy generous meals, local drinks, and friendly hosts. It suits couples, families with adults, and small groups who like to share food and do a little hands-on work without committing to a demanding culinary course.

It is especially practical for cruise passengers. Pickup at the ship, an air-conditioned ride, and a return arranged around the sailing schedule make the day easier than organizing a vineyard visit alone.

You should think twice if you need a strict menu, a highly technical cooking lesson, or a detailed behind-the-scenes tour of winery machinery. You should also confirm dietary needs in advance, since the information mentions meat-free variety but does not spell out menus or allergy procedures.

The tour has a 98 percent recommendation rate and a 4.9 rating from 58 ratings, which matches the consistent praise for Jason, the lunch, the wine, and the relaxed family atmosphere. I would still focus on the fit: this is a convivial food-and-wine afternoon, not a formal wine certification course.

Booking details worth knowing

Pickup is offered from your ship or hotel. The start time shown when booking is approximate, and the exact time comes in the confirmation email or message.

Confirmation normally arrives at booking. If you book within one day of the outing, confirmation comes as soon as possible and depends on availability.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund. If bad weather or an insufficient minimum cancels the experience, you are offered a different date or a full refund.

Should you book this vineyard lunch?

Book it if you want Rhodes served at the table: local grapes, Greek spirits, family recipes, and a long lunch with wine in the countryside. The strongest reasons are Jason’s warm hosting, the substantial food, and the easy ship pickup.

Skip it if you want a major winery complex, a demanding cooking school, or a tightly defined 12-course menu. I would count on 11 courses, expect a simple culinary session, and book this for the overall afternoon rather than any single technical element. For the right visitor, it is a tasty and restful counterpoint to Rhodes’ history-heavy sightseeing.

FAQ

How long does the Gourmet Journey experience last?

The experience lasts approximately four hours, including about 30 minutes of transport to the vineyard, three hours at the vineyard, and about 30 minutes returning to Rhodes port.

Where can I be picked up?

Pickup is offered from your cruise ship or hotel. The exact meeting location and pickup time are sent by email or message after booking.

Is transportation included from Rhodes port?

Yes. Transportation from the Rhodes cruise terminal to the vineyard and back to the port is included.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The experience is offered in English.

How many dishes are served at lunch?

The detailed experience information describes an 11-course Greek lunch. The product title calls it a 12-course lunch, so you should confirm the final count with Telia Travel if that distinction matters to you.

Is wine included with lunch?

Yes. Wine is included with the meal, and the experience also includes a wine tasting before lunch.

What spirits are included in the tasting?

The distillery visit explains how molasses becomes souma and tsipouro, and the experience includes a tasting of a spirit made on site.

What happens in the cooking class?

You take part in preparing traditional Rhodes dishes with the cook and follow instructions during the session. Examples include dolmades, eggplant salad, and tzatziki.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded.