Santorini Wine Route: Rugged Vineyards

Is it hard to make wine on a volcanic island? The Greeks are resourceful, and they’ve been doing it for 3,500 years.

Santorini, a gem of the Cyclades

From the famous Caldera, the scenery is simply breathtaking. Whitewashed houses and narrow streets, blue-domed chapels perched atop the cliffs overlooking the sparkling Aegean Sea below, picturesque villages, and wide black-sand beaches.

Less than a four-hour flight from Paris, Santorini is the southernmost island in the Cyclades archipelago. It is the stuff of legend, a must-see destination for travelers wishing to explore Greece. But tourism is not the only economic resource for this small island, which covers just 76 square kilometers and has a permanent population of 12,000.

Megalohori, © Jean-Marie (Evaneos)

More than 1,000 hectares of vineyards add color to the arid, volcanic landscape, producing a renowned wine whose production began around 3,500 BCE.

Assyrtiko, a unique indigenous grape variety, is in fact one of the oldest in the history of viticulture, with some vines dating back several hundred years. It has been designated a Protected Designation of Origin.

A dry, slightly fruity white wine is produced here; its characteristics are unique and reflect the local growing conditions. Water stress, strong winds, and intense sunlight result in very low yields. Added to these factors is the low clay content of the soil, all of which makes it virtually impossible for phylloxera to thrive, making Santorini wines virtually organic by nature.

A unique vineyard layout

When walking through the vineyards, one is struck by the unique shape of the vines. Uninitiated visitors sometimes think they have been abandoned, seeing a mass of leaves and shoots that appear to be growing wild, right on the ground. Yet the work involved in tending the vines in Santorini is extremely meticulous. The trunk of each plant is shaped year after year into a hoop, in a small hollow close to the ground, by weaving the vine shoots. Thanks to this configuration, the grape clusters growing inside this ball of leaves are better sheltered from the sun and strong winds. Furthermore, Santorini’s volcanic soil is composed in part of tiny particles of pumice. Rainwater from infrequent rains, as well as dew caused by high humidity in the spring, is thus better captured and released gradually, naturally irrigating the Santorini vines.

Vines of Santorini, © Jean-Marie (Evaneos)

Recently, local winemakers have attempted to revive a very old indigenous grape variety, Mavrotragano, which produces an intense red wine with undisputed aging potential. Another, more approachable red wine is made from Mandilaria, a grape variety found on several islands in the Cyclades.

In our next article, we’ll tell you all about Vinsanto!