Olive oil and wine, taught the Greek way. At Brettos Plaka in the Plaka area, I love the hands-on olive oil tasting plus the small-group feel, capped at eight people, so questions don’t get lost. You’ll work through six wine pours and four extra-virgin olive oils, then learn how herbs, cheese, deli meats, and spices shape the flavor.

I also like that the format is practical: it’s built around learning how to evaluate taste, not just drinking for fun. One thing to keep in mind is that the experience is listed with canapes & condiments, and at least one booking reported the food side felt lighter than expected.

Key highlights worth your time

• Four extra-virgin olive oils tasted side by side, with guidance on how to judge quality
• Six Greek wines served with explanations focused on what you’re tasting
• Pairing training using herbs, cheese, deli items, and spices
• Small group size (up to eight) for a more personal pace
• English instruction with a straightforward, get-it-done style
• Two-hour duration that fits neatly into an Athens day

Brettos Plaka in Athens: wine and olive oil, the practical way

Athens is full of wine bars, but most of them stay at the “try what sounds good” level. This experience takes you a step further. You’re not just handed glasses. You learn how to taste—how to notice acidity, bitterness, fruit, and aroma in wine, and how olive oil texture and punch show up before you ever swallow.

What makes it especially appealing is the pairing angle. Greece doesn’t treat olive oil as a side character. It’s part of everyday food logic: herbs, cheese, cured meats, and spices all interact with what’s in the glass. The masterclass approach is built to help you recreate that at home or on your next bar crawl, instead of forgetting everything the moment the tour ends.

And yes, it’s also a fun way to slow down in Plaka. Two hours gives you enough time to learn the basics without turning it into a long evening commitment.

Where to meet: finding Brettos Plaka without stress

Your starting point is Brettos Plaka, listed as the oldest bar in Athens. The directions are simple, which matters in Plaka where streets twist and everyone is trying to look busy.

Go to Brettos. Find the steps on the right side. Walk down and enter the Deli & Tasting Room. If you arrive a few minutes early, you’ll have time to get your bearings and settle in before the tasting begins.

Once you’re inside, the setting is more intimate than a big public tasting. You’ll be tasting at the same place where the deli-style food support is set up, so pairing isn’t an afterthought.

The olive oil masterclass: four oils and the flavors you should catch

Olive oil tasting is often treated like a vague ritual. This one focuses on what you can actually notice. The basics start with the difference between olive oil and wine:

• Wine is fermented grape juice
• Extra virgin olive oil is freshly squeezed olive juice

That matters because you evaluate them with different expectations. Wine tends to bring fruit, tannin, and acidity. Extra virgin olive oil tends to bring bitterness, peppery notes, and a grassy or fresh character that can show up in the finish.

You’ll taste four different extra virgin olive oils, and you’re taught how herbs and food pair with them. That’s the big “transferable skill” here. Instead of memorizing one winner oil, you learn what each style does to taste when it meets real food—like cheese, deli items, and herbs/spices.

If you’re the type who always buys olive oil but wonders what makes one bottle taste better than another, you’ll likely find this section click fast. One booking highlighted how valuable it was to learn how to choose a good olive oil, and that’s exactly what this part is built for.

How the wine tasting works: six pours, then you learn the why

After the olive oil part, you move into the wine tasting: six wines. The goal isn’t to overwhelm you with names and labels. It’s more about training your palate to notice what differs from pour to pour.

You’ll get explanations tied to what you’re tasting—helping you connect grape or style with flavor. One person’s feedback specifically praised how the instructor explained the grapes, the tastes, and how popular the wines are. Another noted the guide was extremely knowledgeable and the afternoon felt fun and interesting.

Here’s how to think about the wine segment as a traveler: you’re learning a short-list method. Once you know what you like—something crisp, something fuller, something with a certain bite—you can order with confidence later. Athens has plenty of wine stops. This masterclass helps you avoid the guesswork.

Pairing with herbs, cheese, deli, and spices: the real payoff

The tastings would be nice on their own, but the value comes from pairing. Greece’s flavors are not meant to be isolated. Herbs and spices are not garnish; they’re part of the taste conversation.

During the session, you’ll connect olive oil and wine with:

• Cheese
• Deli items
• Organic herbs and spices

Can you do this without the class? Sure. But the class teaches you how to do it thoughtfully. You start understanding why certain combinations taste harmonious. For example, strong or peppery olive oils can hold their ground against salty cheese and cured meats. Meanwhile, wine can soften or sharpen the overall impression depending on acidity and structure.

This pairing section is also where the small-group format helps. When you’re tasting in a group of up to eight, you can compare impressions and ask quick questions. That’s how you stop feeling like you’re “just drinking” and start feeling like you’re learning.

A small bonus mentioned by one booking: a honey tasting was included, with a variety of flavors. Honey isn’t listed in the core inclusions, so don’t count on it every time—but it’s a sign the team may add small extras to keep things lively.

What about the food: canapes and condiments, and one important caution

The inclusions list canapes & condiments. In a perfect world, that means you’ll have enough bites to make the pairing parts comfortable—something salty, something savory, something that helps reset your palate between pours.

Here’s the balanced caution: one booking reported that canapes and any food alongside the tastings did not match what was advertised, and that explanations felt more like quick, general notes than a true masterclass. That doesn’t mean your experience will be the same, but it does suggest you should mentally budget this as primarily a tasting class, not a heavy meal.

My practical advice: eat something light before you go, or plan to grab food after. Then you won’t be disappointed if the canapes are modest.

Duration and pacing: can you fit this into your Athens day?

The session runs about two hours. That’s a sweet spot in Athens. It’s long enough to cover olive oil, wine, and pairing, but short enough that you won’t feel like you lost half your trip.

If you’re visiting Plaka in the late morning or early afternoon, this kind of experience is ideal. It turns wandering into learning. Also, you’ll be sampling alcohol, so you’ll want the rest of the day to stay relaxed.

Small-group size (up to eight) helps pacing too. You’re less likely to get stuck waiting for others to catch up, and you’ll likely be able to ask questions without the instructor repeating things for a larger crowd.

Price and value: is $58 per person a good deal?

At $58 per person, the pricing is aiming at an experience with real instruction, not just a casual pour. Here’s what you’re paying for, based on what’s included:

• Six wines
• Four extra-virgin olive oils
• Masterclass on wines and masterclass on olive oil
• Organic herbs and spices
• Canapes & condiments (with the earlier caution)
• Pairing support using cheese and deli items

If you compare this to buying multiple tastings in a wine bar, the “instruction + structured pairing” piece is what makes the price feel reasonable. You’re getting a guided palate-training session and a framework you can reuse later. The olive oil in particular can be expensive if you’re shopping retail, and tasting multiple types side by side is the quickest way to understand what you actually like.

So: yes, it’s a fair value for a short, focused class—especially if you want a learning experience you can take home.

Who should book this tasting, and who might skip it

This experience is a great match if you want more than a drink. Book it if you:

• Love food and want to understand why flavors work together
• Want to learn how to choose better olive oil
• Enjoy small-group teaching where you can ask questions
• Are planning future wine-bar stops and want to order smarter

You might want to think twice if:

• You’re mainly looking for a full meal (the food is listed as canapes/condiments, and one booking reported it was less than expected)
• You dislike structured instruction and would rather browse on your own

Also, it’s not suitable for people under 21, so it’s an adults-only tasting class.

Should you book Brettos Plaka’s Greek Wine & Olive Oil masterclass?

I think you should book it if your goal is to leave Athens with usable taste knowledge, not just happy memories. The olive oil and wine side-by-side structure, plus the pairing with herbs, cheese, and deli items, makes it more valuable than a typical bar stop. And with a small group of eight, you’re less likely to feel anonymous in the room.

If you’re picky about the food portion being part of the value, go in with the right expectations: treat it as a tasting lesson first, snacks second. With that mindset, this is an excellent way to understand two Greek staples in a focused two-hour slot.

FAQ

How long is the Brettos Plaka wine and olive oil tasting?

The experience lasts about 2 hours.

What’s included in the tasting?

You’ll get six wines, four extra virgin olive oils, organic herbs and spices, canapes and condiments, and masterclass instruction on both wines and olive oil, plus pairing with cheese and deli items.

What group size is it?

It’s a small group limited to 8 participants.

Is the experience taught in English?

Yes. The instructor speaks English.

Is it suitable for under 21s?

No. It’s not suitable for people under 21.

Where do I meet the group?

Meet at Brettos Plaka. Find the oldest bar in Athens, go down the steps on the right side, and enter the Deli & Tasting Room.

Can I reserve now and pay later, and what’s the cancellation window?

You can reserve now and pay later. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.