| Santorini viniculture |
 What makes the island of Santorini so unique is the special ecosystem, created by the continuous explosions of the local volcano and the lava that burned the rocks and made the land absorbing, porous and rich in porcelain. The land of Santorini is anhydrous, since it rains rarely. The 3,500 year tradition in vine cultivation and the art of wine making is maintained nowadays by many local wine makers.Cliff vineyards in Santorini are spreading out on different ground levels , forming the distinctive “pezoules” which were made by the producers so that it is easier for them to cultivate and to maximize the effectiveness of rainwater. The secret of successful grape cultivation on the island lays in the trapped humidity as well as the morning dew produced by the evaporation of the sea in the site of Caldera. The vineyards are not linear. The vines are scattered, close to the ground. For thousands of years now, the local producers have invented a unique way of pruning, the so called “kouloura” (curl). Its shape resembles to a round basket that protects the soft and tender grapes from getting damaged by the island's strong winds. So, here are some basic elements that create the distinctive Santorini micro climate that contributes to the exceptional characteristics of Santorini grapes, which give unique wines with refreshing acidity, high alcoholic volume and extraordinary taste. Since 1971, Santorini has been approved as a region that produces APPELLATION OF ORIGIN SANTORINI OF SUPERIOR QUALITY wines. On this dry and waterless land flourish more than 10 varieties of grapes: Asyrtiko is the most popular white variety, which gives its best performance in Santorini. It represents the 80% of the total cultivated varieties and gives us wines of high acidity, special aroma and full body. Not only great dry white wines are made from Asyrtiko but also Vinsanto, the famous naturally sweet wine from sun dried grapes. Athiri and Aidani are the two other most important white varieties which when are blended with Asyrtiko give us wine with the aromas of flowers and fruits. In smaller quantities the red varieties Mandilaria, Voudomato and Mavrotragano are cultivated, which give excellent red dry and sweet wines that allow for long aging. source: www.santowines.gr |
