When arriving in Santorini for the first time, it’s hard not to let out a long “wow.” Purple sunsets, endless blue sea, black sand beaches, rural landscapes, and white houses with blue domes—all of these are just part of the stunning sights the island has to offer. It’s a destination for the wealthy, celebrities, and wannabe celebrities—a place of champagne and strawberries, a glass of wine by a sea-view pool, sunset strolls in flowing white dresses, and cocktails on luxury yachts. But it’s not only that. Everyone can find something to love here. So, is it any wonder I found a wine I fell in love with?
A Wine Like No Other in the World
Wine is produced all over Greece, with about 70% being white wines. Until the 1970s, Greece mostly made simple wines for daily consumption or traditional Retsina—flavored with pine resin—which often burned the throats of unsuspecting tourists. But a few pioneering winemakers from major wineries in Greece took the risk of elevating local varieties to global quality standards. On the volcanic island of Santorini, they began producing a modern, sharp, mineral-rich white wine that had no match anywhere else in the world.
By the 1990s, Greek restaurants in cities like Paris, London, and New York were offering these high-quality wines, and Santorini’s secret was out. Why did the Assyrtiko wines of Santorini attract so much global attention? Partly due to the island’s growing popularity as a tourist destination—but once you taste the wines and understand the island’s unique terroir, you realize there’s more to it. It’s simply extraordinary wine.
The Tsunami That Enabled the Exodus
Around 1600 BCE, the volcano on Santorini erupted. What was once a round island became a hole in the ocean as much of it was destroyed and sank 400 meters into the sea, leaving only the edges of a smoking black caldera.
This eruption caused a tsunami estimated at over 100 meters high, which destroyed Minoan cities on Crete. Some even speculate it was the inspiration for the myth of Atlantis, or that it enabled the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt.
Hundreds of years later, brave settlers returned to the island. To their surprise, they found living remnants of the eruption: grapevines, which had somehow managed to survive in the volcanic soil. Over the next thousand years, the locals cultivated these vines, learning how to grow them in some of the harshest conditions on Earth—almost no rain and fierce winds for much of the year.
The dessert wine Vinsanto (which inspired Tuscany’s Vin Santo) not only made Santorini famous in ancient times but also brought great wealth to the island and its Venetian rulers. Vinsanto was among the most famous wines of the ancient world, served to kings and the wealthy elite.
Coping with Extreme Weather
Little has changed in the way grapes are grown on the island. At first glance, the vines look like wild shrubs. To protect the grapes from harsh winds, the vines are trained low to the ground in a unique basket shape called kouloura. This spiral basket shelters the fruit from wind and provides shaded leaves to protect it from the intense sun.
There’s no irrigation in Santorini’s vineyards. Water is too scarce and expensive, so the vines must draw moisture from the air and soil like the island’s other sparse vegetation. Every 75–85 years, vintners prune the baskets and allow new shoots to sprout from the vine’s base, starting a new basket all over again.
Many of the island’s vines are between 200 and 500 years old. Because Santorini was never affected by the phylloxera plague, it has some of the oldest productive vines in the world—adding to the wine’s complexity and quality.
Assyrtiko – SANTORINI'S King of Grapes
Santorini mainly produces white wine, with a few reds, almost entirely from local grape varieties. The dominant white grape is Assyrtiko, which yields intense, mineral-rich wines with a salty edge from the sea air and volcanic soil.
Vinsanto is the crown jewel of Santorini’s wines—a sweet dessert wine made from a blend of Assyrtiko, Aidani, and Athiri, aged in oak barrels for at least three years. It offers deep flavors, rich caramel notes, and striking acidity. The grapes are sun-dried for one to two weeks, causing the skins to brown and the juice to concentrate. It takes 5–6 kilos of grapes to make just one liter of Vinsanto. The result is a balanced wine with high sweetness and acidity—never cloying. After sun-drying, the wine ages in oak for at least two years, often longer.
Despite its deep amber hue, Vinsanto is made from white grapes. Assyrtiko behaves almost like a red grape—structured, with acidity, minerality, and salinity.
Dry White Wines from Assyrtiko
These come in two styles: stainless steel-fermented and barrel-aged. Both are highly acidic.
Barrel-aged Assyrtiko is often called Nykteri—a traditional term referring to harvesting before dawn. Today, the name is more often used for full-bodied, complex wines that age at least three months in oak before bottling.
Santorini Wines are usually blends of Assyrtiko with Athiri and Aidani, aged in tanks. These wines are intense, acidic, and citrusy. The best time to open a bottle is 3–5 years after harvest, but they can age beautifully for up to 25 years.
Santorini whites are the opposite of boring. At their best, they are thrilling—full-bodied (often 14% alcohol), with lemon aromas, mineral salinity, and acidity. They might remind you of top French wines like Chablis or Sancerre—but really, they remind you of Santorini itself.
Top White Grape Varieties of the Island:
- Assyrtiko: 80% of the island’s wine production. Not very aromatic—aromas are added with Aidani and Athiri.
- Athiri: Blended with Assyrtiko to enhance aroma.
- Aidani: Often used in Vinsanto to add fragrance.
Red grapes grow here too, but the wines tend to be overripe and dried due to the heat, with some exceptions.
Yiannis Argyros is a third-generation winemaker at a winery whose roots date back to 1903. His winery is the largest privately-owned estate on the island. According to him, Assyrtiko will thrive especially well during the era of global warming, because unlike other varieties, even when heat rises and sugar levels increase, it does not lose its high acidity. This high acidity ensures longevity in dry wines and balance in dessert wines.
Estate Argyros Atlantis White 2022
90% Assyrtiko, 5% Aidani, 5% Athiri. Old vines aged 30 to 200 years. A wonderful wine with aromas of lemon, lime, salinity. Concentrated, medium-bodied. I rated it 91.
Argyros Assyrtiko Santorini 2022
On the nose, grapefruit and salinity. Full-bodied, bitterness, impressive length. Vines are at least 100 years old. I rated it 92–93.
Argyros Cuvée Gerontampelo 2020
More delicate in flavor compared to the previous wines, less powerful, rounder in taste, fuller body due to barrel aging, nice finish. In my opinion, not as good as the Santorini Assyrtiko. I rated it 91. Robert Parker, one of the world’s most prominent wine critics, disagreed and gave it a respectable score of 95.
Argyros Cuvée Monsignori 2017
So rich and complex! Grapefruit and salt. Power and full body. I rated it 94. Robert Parker (hereafter RP) gave it a score of 92.
Argyros Cuvée Monsignori 2018
Intense aromas of lemon and grapefruit. Full-bodied. I rated it 92. RP also gave it a 92.
Argyros Vinsanto First Release 2016
Full of life, not overly sweet. On the nose: raisins, dried plums, lemon zest, without great complexity. Grapes were dried for a week. Spontaneous fermentation lasted about 10 months. Aged 4 years in barrels. This syrupy dessert wine presents a light brown copper hue and offers a very rich mouthfeel with a velvety texture. It has a moderate alcohol level of 13% and a residual sugar content of 200 grams per liter. But don’t underestimate the importance of freshness—in this case, it tastes like freshly squeezed blood orange. I rated it 94. RP gave it the same score.
Argyros Vinsanto Late Release 2003
Complex aroma. Flavors of figs, dates, coffee, nuts, salt, and chocolate. Possibly slightly better than the First Release. Deeper. Aged for 16 years, during which the barrels are not topped up, since oxygen is a friend of this wine. I rated it 95. RP did as well.
The winery was founded by Paris Sigalas. The winery team is proud to combine tradition and innovation, using both modern and ancient techniques to produce wines that honor the island’s winemaking heritage. It’s a small winery, offering award-winning wines and beautiful sunset views.
We spoke with Sara Iakovidou, the enologist, who studied oenology at the University of Thessaloniki and joined the winery in 2020. According to her, making wine in Santorini is much harder than on the mainland of Greece, where she previously worked. Due to the island’s unique conditions, the winemaking protocol is unique, so some of the production methods she learned and brought with her are not applicable here.
In winter, when the island empties of tourists, it is difficult for a young woman to live there alone. Only five restaurants remain open across the entire island. Still, she is happy to work for Sigalas. The advantage is that it’s never boring—dramatic changes occur from year to year. The summers are increasingly hot, rainfall decreases year by year, and so does the quantity of harvested grapes. The table below speaks for itself:
Harvest Year | Quantity of Grapes Harvested at Sigalas Winery (in tons) | Notes |
2020 | 500 | This is the last year Vinsanto was produced, due to grape shortage |
2021 | 300 | |
2022 | 350 | |
2023 | 150 | |
2024 | 100 | Grape price rose from €5 to €8 per kilo due to shortage |
Sigalas Nychteri 2020
This wine is offered at a high price—over $100—due to high demand and limited supply. It’s not intended to be a typical Santorini wine. This is a category of its own: slightly sweet on the edges with concentrated fruit. Some may find this bold Nychteri to be a “wow” wine. It’s the kind of wine that shows it can maintain—or even improve—its balance over time. Floral, with some complexity and a full body. Long finish. I rated it 93. RP gave it 90+.
Sigalas Vinsanto 2016
Wow. Figs and dates. Full-bodied. Some might find it too sweet. Thick and almost syrupy. I rated it 94, as did RP.
The Gaia winery was founded in 1994 by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and Leon Karatsalos. It’s considered one of the better-known wineries on the island—and for good reason. The wines, crafted by Mr. Paraskevopoulos, are exceptional and have received numerous awards.
Gaia Ammonite 2021
Aromas of yeast and bread, peach, and apple. Full-bodied, powerful. Slight bitterness in the finish. I rated it 93.
Gaia “Wild Ferment” Assyrtiko 2022
The wine was fermented with wild yeasts. On the nose: grapefruit and salinity. The oak integrates beautifully, with distant hints of spices, anise, and roasted almonds. Full-bodied with a nice finish. A harmonious wine. I rated it 93, as did RP.
Gaia Nychteri 2020
Some complexity on the nose from old vines. Powerful yet elegant. Aromas of grapefruit and salt. Nice finish. I rated it 94, as did RP.
Gaia Vinsanto 2015
Amber-colored wine with aromas of roasted orange peel, bergamot, caramel, dates, and raisins. Some complexity. On the palate, sweet flavors of caramel, coffee, candied orange peel, and bitterness, balanced by bright, refreshing acidity. Powerful body, with a long finish that rounds out the experience.
Santo Winery was established in 1947 and is a cooperative with 1,200 active members. In the past, all wine produced on the island came from the cooperative, where small farmers would bring their grapes to be vinified in one place. Over the years, private wineries have emerged, but Santo remains the largest producer on the island, accounting for about 70% of its grapes.
Many families in Santorini own vineyards passed down through generations but lack the capacity to produce their own wine, as most are not engaged in full-time agriculture. Producing through the cooperative allows them to earn income without major investments. Santo produces especially high-quality wines, and in our tasting, we sampled some of the best on the island. The winery is located in a modern facility overlooking breathtaking views—sea, stark white houses, and volcanic islets visible from the island’s highest point.
The tasting was conducted with Mr. Mattheos Dimopoulos, CEO of the winery.
Santo Wines Santorini Assyrtiko Selection Cuvée 2022
Possibly the best Santorini wine we tasted on the island. Powerful aromas of salinity and citrus. Full-bodied with refreshing, balancing acidity and slight bitterness. Long finish. The wine is suitable for a variety of cuisines, including spicy Thai, Mexican, and Eastern Mediterranean. I rated it 93–94. RP gave it 92.
Santo Wines Kontarades 2022
This amazing wine comes from a single vineyard. The label features a small sketch of a triple-peaked volcano, and the name comes from a nickname for a family that has worked with the cooperative for many years. It’s an enjoyable wine with a fresh, sharp quality that gives off powerful aromas of grapefruit, starfruit, honeydew melon, and crushed salt. It also shows medium-high concentration with a broad texture. The 70-year-old vines yield only 150 kg of grapes per square kilometer. The wine is aged in clay amphorae for 10 months. Only 3,000 bottles were produced, and no wine will be made in 2023 or 2024 due to low yields. I rated it 94, as did RP.
Santo Wines Nychteri 2022
There’s a floral element from the 15% Athiri and Aidani, along with a strong mineral core from the 85% Assyrtiko. Following Nychteri tradition, the wine is aged in oak barrels for six months. A touch of complexity is revealed through waves of aromas of sun-dried sweetness with honey and candied orange peel. The palate is filled with a richness of flavors. Long finish. I rated it 93–94. RP gave it 92.
Santo Wines Santorini Grande Reserve 2021
100% Assyrtiko. Aged one year in barrique and one year in bottle. Some complexity. Aromas of bread, apple strudel, and yeast. Full-bodied, mouth-filling with rich flavors. Very long finish. I rated it 94. Wine Spectator (A highly acclaimed American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine. Hereafter WS) gave it 93.
Santo Wines Irini 2022
The Santorini Assyrtiko “Irini” 2020 was aged for 18 months in oak barrels previously used to age Vinsanto for 10 years. As a result, you can expect the Irini to adopt similar aromas to Vinsanto—like caramel and salted toffee—as it matures in bottle. For now, in its youthful state, the wine features aromas of sesame, buttery filo pastry, and orange marmalade. There are also spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg from the barrel, along with the wine’s rich and rounded structure. This is a unique and special wine. Its name, Irini, comes from “Santa Irina” of Thessaloniki, the patron saint after whom Santorini is named. The wine is complex, velvety, full-bodied, rounded, and seductive. It was the best Assyrtiko we tasted on the island. Price: €55. I rated it 95.
Santo Wines Vinsanto 2020
This young vintage, in my view, showcased the best of the winery’s Vinsanto, with intensity and acidity. In older vintages I tasted (12-year and 20-year), the Assyrtiko softened with barrel aging and didn’t develop complexity—only concentration. The wine is made from 85% Assyrtiko, with Athiri and Aidani supporting. The grapes are sun-dried in the open air for eight days. The wine spent only three years in barrel. It opens with a beautiful copper color with lighter amber highlights. It shows dried dates, chestnut honey, and plum with a medium-full body. The wine’s lingering sweetness is successfully balanced by the warm acidity of the grapes. I rated it 94. RP gave it 92.
Global Warming, Drought, and Rising Prices: What Does the Future Hold for the Wine Industry in Santorini?
In 2023–2024, not a single drop of rain fell in Santorini. The only water the vines received came from morning dew. The existing desalination plant does not provide suitable water: it lacks the essential minerals found in natural water and is therefore not even potable. Even if the missing minerals were reintroduced, the cost would be so high that it would make sustainable agriculture impossible. As a result, mature vines are not irrigated at all. The consequences were already visible in September 2024, when we visited the island, with withered leaves in the vineyards and diminishing harvest yields (see above: harvest volume chart for Sigalas winery).
Global warming, the inherent challenges of viticulture in this region, and the increasing allocation of land for tourism projects—often at the expense of vineyards—have created a reverse relationship between the quantity of wine produced on the island and the growing demand and acclaim it receives. Consequently, the price of high-quality wine grapes on the island has surged, recently surpassing €5 per kilogram, a sharp increase that has driven wine prices up significantly over the past five years. These soaring prices are harming the competitiveness of Santorini wines in global markets. The number of wineries is steadily declining, and even today, at the peak of the wines’ reputation, there are only 10–12 wineries operating on the island.
Recent years, and this past year in particular, have been the most difficult ever for viticulture in Santorini. The grape growers we spoke with emphasized that viticulture on the island is at a critical crossroads. In the past, no one ever considered irrigation in Santorini. But global warming has left no choice: the authorities must build a desalination plant that can provide water of suitable quality and at a reasonable price to the vine growers.
A second crucial decision: renewal of the vineyards in Santorini. Planting new vines may allow for better adaptation to changing climate conditions. The old vines currently planted on the island have endured repeated stress and their yields are steadily declining. Vines naturally become less productive over time, but under current climate conditions, the rate of decline is accelerating. Mr. Dimopoulos, CEO of Santo Wines, says that while the early 1990s also saw some difficult years due to weather conditions, in recent years, multiple factors have combined into a perfect storm: drought, heat waves, and shrinking vineyard areas. He cannot afford to be a pessimist, but the situation is undeniably serious.
The good news is that all of Santorini recognizes that wine is a central part of its identity, and more and more stakeholders are willing to fight for the survival of Santorini wines.
