| Santorini wine |
 Santorini has two appellations: one for dry whites and one for sweet whites. The appellation for dry wines calls for Asyrtiko, Athiri and Aidani Aspro. The sweet appellation requires Asyrtiko and Aidani only. Although the island is neither known for its red wine nor possesses an appellation for them, the red cultivations Mandilaria (20% of vineyard area) and Mavrotragano are playing an increasingly important role in premium wine production. Santorini is home to several original wine genres. Certain of these have proved particularly solid foundations for the development of successful modern wine making.
Brousko is a style (and a name) dating back to the Venetian occupation of the island (13th-16th centuries). Brousko were traditionally dry red, white or rose comprised of appropriate combinations of the local cultivar pallette, held for a period of days in the pressing bins, then pressed by foot, fermented on skins and stems and barrel-aged. Although the raw style of traditional Brousko has largely been abandoned in favor of free-run must and international methods of vinification, it is still to be found on the island. Nykteri is another local wine, one that is represented in commercial as well as local bottled products. Nykteri takes it name from the Greek word meaning 'night work', denoting a procedure in which the processing of the grapes from the vineyard to the fermenter occurs entirely in one day, culminating late at night. Although the origin of the practice on Santorini is unclear, the harvesting of grapes near or before dawn is not exclusive to Santorini or Greece and is known, generally, to result in superior must. Asyrtiko, with a lesser complement of Athiri and Aidani Aspro, is the traditional varietal basis for the style. It is also this composition that has now generally become the foundation for the new breed of fine wines produced on the island. Even Europe is in the dark about both traditional and new sweet wines that could compete admirably against the best native competition if given the opportunity, Santorinian Vinsanto, a tradition of ancient origins, is precisely such a wine. For Vinsanto, ripe grapes are laid in the sun to raisin, usually for 8 to 14 days, then undergo a long, slow fermentation. Vinsanto is usually low in alcohol and barrel-aged for a period of years before being bottled. In the past, according to Lambert-Gocs, a blend of white Asyrtico and red Mandilaria was considered an ideal mixture. These days, the Santorini appellation insures that Vinsanto is made exclusively from Asyrtiko and Aidani. This style has become such a staple genre for the personal expression of Santorini's winemakers that nearly every producer of bottled wine on the island offers a unique rendition. Mezzo a less sweet version of Vinsanto, is also traditional on the island. It is typically made from a combination of raisined and and un-raisined grapes, or from grapes that have undergone less sun drying than in the case of those employed in Vinsanto. source : www.greekwinemakers.com |
