Wines of Santorini and the Cyclades

Wine is mainly produced on two Cycladic islands: Santorini and Paros. Nevertheless, Andros, Tinos and Naxos also produce some decent table wines.

By far though, Santorini reaps worthily the laurels of the most important wine-producing island of the Cyclades, if not of the whole of Greece. It is also the most interesting island in this domain. Its microclimate presents a lot of particularities: the volcanic terrain of Santorini is a mixture of chalk, slate, coal, ash, lava and pumice. It is extremely dry during the summer when the grapes mature and temperatures during daytime are very high. On the other hand, this island is being mercilessly beaten by the north winds- the "meltemia" (etesian winds) - which prevent the accumulation of humidity on the grapes during daytime. During the night though, when temperatures drop and the climatic conditions become relatively humid, the volcanic terrain absorbs this humidity, thus feeding the grapes.

The result of this unique combination of climate and terrain is that the Santorini grapes mature fast and retain their acidity. Like everything else on the wind-swept Santorini, the vines are also unique. In order to protect the vines from the meltemia, the people of Santorini prune them in such a way that they look like a wreath within which the grapes grow.

There are about 10 local grape varieties, many of which were kwon since antiquity.

Nowadays, only a few of them are commercially exploited for wine production. The most important variety is the Asyrtico, which dominates the island followed by the white and light Aidani which resembles the Muscat.   

Like Santorini, Paros also is swept by the strong Aegean winds. As its neighbors in the south, the people of Paros have developed their own unique method for cultivation and protection of the vines. Here, they do not protect the grapes with wreaths like in Santorini. Instead, the vines grow on very steep slopes in such a way that the fruit is lying on the ground, sometimes at a distance of 10 meters.

Paros is known for two basic varieties of grapes and most of its wine is combination of both. These varieties are red grapes Mantilaria and the white ones Monemvasia.

Wine-making in Paros was traditionally synonymous with the production of unbottled wine, as opposed to bottled. This situation started changing during the '70s, with the increase of tourists which brought along the necessity for better quality wines. The habit though of producing unbottled wine, particularly red, was so deeply rooted on the island, that the local people decided to cultivate mainly the Mandilaria variety for red wine production.

Nowadays thing are different. Today the Mandilaria variety by law cannot exceed 35% of the total white grapes cultivated. The rest is covered by the traditional white variety Monemvasia, or Malvazia, as it is sometimes called.

Paros can be proud for the only appellation of origin in the wine field of Greece, for a wine made by combinations of red and white grapes.

TOP