If you do not walk through a vineyard –one of the best in Greece– and taste the unique local wines, it will be as if you have missed the true flavor of the island. If you had asked someone two decades ago what pictures the word Santorini brought to their mind, the answer would have been something about the caldera and the sunset. In the 80s, the wine producers of the island produced cheap bulk wine, while vineyards were easily sacrificed on the altar of a “room to let” or a “mini market”. At some point, the island became overpacked and tourists themselves, who until then had been supporting this “rooms-to-let” regime, started to abandon the island exactly because of this excessive overflow. Now there was demand for high quality and the sector of gastronomy within this context acquired new dimensions. All of a sudden, Santorini found herself having another precious heritage in her hands: her vineyards. These vineyards, which, thanks to the power of the volcanic soil and the character of a charismatic grape variety, Assyrtikos, gave wines with a unique identity. Great wine producers have worked incredibly hard and, as a result, the Santorini wines stand today among the most popular wines in Greece demonstrating the highest sales abroad.
Wine varieties
The Assyrtiko grape is a variety with character. You either adore it or hate it. In the Santorini microclimate, it gives a wine with metallic elements, high acidity and explosive body, matching the volcanic character of the island. Other main varieties are Athyri, Aidani (white), Mantilaria and Mavrotragano (red). At the same time, the island has several rare local varieties, the so-called “xenoloes”, such as Voudomato, Katsano, Gaidouria, Flaskia, Potamisi, Mavrathyro, Aitonyhi etc. Some wine producers have recently started vinification of such varieties.
Wineries
Today Santorini constitutes the best organised wine-tourist destination with visitable wineries, excellent restaurants and wine tasting.
Estate Argyros
The Argyros canava was founded in 1903 by Georgios Argyros. At that time his ambition was to exploit his 20-stremma (2-hectare) vineyard and so he constructed a rudimentary winery. In 1950 the winery was handed over to his son, Mattheos. Since 1974 it has been run by Giannis Argyros, who expanded the vineyard area to 220 stremmas and went on even further to modernising the winery. Argyros Vinsanto 1987 is by far the best Vinsanto produced in Santorini. (Visits by appointment only)
Domaine Sigalas
The winery was founded in 1991. Today 2.200 hectares are being cultivated with different grape varieties of the island giving wines that have been awarded in various contests. You will be guided around the winery and sit in the garden under the pergola to try the wines accompanied with local dishes (mezedes), while gazing at the vines which expand as far as the sea.
Gaia Winemakers
You probably remember the “Tomata” restaurant. It is exactly at this spot that the Gaia Winery is situated. It is more than ten years that an old tomato factory in Exo Gonia has been converted to an impressive modern winery. Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, one of the contemporary wine producers with his own outstanding personal view, created in 1994 “Thalassitis”, the wine which stirred up the waters of the Greek wine-making sector at that time. In addition, a sort of sweet vinegar is produced here coming exclusively from the Assyrtikos grape, which ages in French oak barrels for at least five years' time. (Visits by appointment only)
Santo Wines
(Association Cooperatives of Theraic Products)
It was founded in 1947 and is the largest wine producer in Santorini with approximately one thousand active members, including all vine-growers of Santorini. It has been built on various levels so that energy is saved by using the law of gravity. It is one of the first modern wineries on the island in terms of design and the largest one in terms of capacity. The grapes lying in the sun on the balconies above the caldera to yield the Vinsanto in September offer a particularly attractive view, for this is probably the only winery overlooking the caldera. There is a sales kiosk with a great variety of wines and local products.
Traditional Distillery Lignos
The traditional distillery of Loukas Lignos in Mesaria is the only distillery on the island which for 35 years now has been extracting high-quality distillates. The Lignos family distill ouzo and tsipouro in pot stills (amvikes) in the traditional way, producing first-class spirits in limited amounts. Tsikoudia with chauffran, maturing in oak barrels for 18 months is a drink well-balanced in flavor with the distinct presence of saffron satisfying even the most demanding palate. Outstanding are the traditional home-made liquors produced in limited amounts in six different flavours: rose, cherry, banana, Parfait d’amour, mastiha and tentura. You will find them in selected cellars.
