THE VOLCANIC WINES OF SANTORINI 🌋🌊🍇
Santorini. The Aegean. The Cyclades. A lunar landscape. The sleeping volcano.
Green against black, but also red, blue, and white.
The vineyards of Santorini have deep roots in time—over 3,200 years of continuous cultivation. Excavations reveal that the island’s prehistoric vineyards were destroyed by the great volcanic eruption around 1600 BC. However, by 1200 BC, vines had been replanted in the newly formed soil, which is not just phylloxera-free—it is phylloxera-immune. The insect that devastated European vineyards could never survive here, as it requires at least 5% clay content to develop, while Santorini’s volcanic soil contains 0% clay. This has allowed the vines to retain their own root systems, with some estimated to be as old as 400 years.
Conditions are harsh. Strong winds. The fierce meltemia. Drought. Scorching heat. Young shoots and grapes remain exposed until the vedema (harvest). To protect them, a unique basket-pruning technique called kouloura was developed. As the vine grows, it is woven into a basket-like shape, shielding the fruit inside. Every 20 years or so, when the basket becomes too large to manage, it is cut off and often repurposed to decorate homes and kanaves (wineries).
The deeper you delve into Santorini, the more you uncover a richness and depth beyond the tourist hype. Santorini and Assyrtiko—almost synonymous. Here, Assyrtiko reaches its most breathtaking expressions.
Other white grape varieties of the island: Athiri, Aidani.
The red varieties: Mavrotragano, Mandilaria.
Santorini is not just an island—it is also a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) for both its white and sweet wines (though not yet for reds). White wines of unparalleled intensity, razor-sharp acidity, and striking minerality, with aromas of volcanic rock, wet stone, and sea salt. Rich fruit, a structure akin to red wine but in white. Despite their high acidity and alcohol content, they remain beautifully balanced.
Sweet wines, Vinsanto (not the italian Vin Santo) made from sun-dried grapes beneath the Cycladic sun, are often aged in oak barrels. Wines sculpted by the sea breeze and fire—profound, structured, with sweetness and acidity in perfect harmony. Timeless.
If you want to explore Santorini through its wines before setting foot on the island, at Holy Grail, we feature the exceptional wines of Estate Argyros. A 4th-generation winemaker and 8th-generation viticulturist, crafting wines from ancient vines. In the Episkopi area, some vines are estimated to be 300 years old.
Discover them…