Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko
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Importer:Haw River Wine Man
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Greece, Santorini
2010
Price: $24.99
The Location... The island of Santorini is in the Aegean Sea,
north of Crete, which itself directly north of the border shared by
Libya and Egypt. Mainland Greece is northwest and Turkey is to the
east. The small islands that make up the Cyclades lie to the north.
Santorini is small, about 28 square miles or 18,000 acres, with 3,500
of those acres covered by vineyards.
The Appellation Wines... are white and dry or sweet, and are based on Assyrtiko, a grape indigenous to Santorini. The wine most commonly made is dry and light-bodied, with citrus notes, high acidity, and minerality. The sweet wine is called Vinsanto, and similar to the Italian dessert wine of similar name, it is made from raisined grapes that dry on mats after harvest. It can be fortified, or not, and is aged for at least two years in barrel. Athiri and Aidani are other white wine grapes grown and used to a lesser extent, usually blended with Assyrtiko. Small amounts of red wine are also produced on Santorini, labeled as table wines, from the Mandilaria and Mavrotragano grape varieties.
The Vineyards... The island is known for strong winds called the meltemi that blow primarily during the summer months. To protect grapes, growers train their vines into a basket, or crown-like shape low to the ground. This nest of sturdy vines and foliage surrounds the bunches of fruit so that they may develop in the protected center of this formation.
An enormous volcanic explosion occurred about 3600 years ago to form what we know today as the island of Santorini. The island's crescent shape surrounds a large caldera, and a couple uninhabited islands, one of which is still an active volcano site and popular day-hiker's destination. The explosion in the island's past created its unique soil, which is incredibly important to the island's terroir. The composition is of sand with volcanic ash and pumice. This soil is famously uninhabitable by the phylloxera louse, which wiped out numerous European vineyards in the 19th Century by attacking the plants' roots, and is still a formidable vineyard pest. Because the louse cannot survive in Santorini's unwelcoming soil, there are centuries-old vines still thriving there today.
The Appellation Wines... are white and dry or sweet, and are based on Assyrtiko, a grape indigenous to Santorini. The wine most commonly made is dry and light-bodied, with citrus notes, high acidity, and minerality. The sweet wine is called Vinsanto, and similar to the Italian dessert wine of similar name, it is made from raisined grapes that dry on mats after harvest. It can be fortified, or not, and is aged for at least two years in barrel. Athiri and Aidani are other white wine grapes grown and used to a lesser extent, usually blended with Assyrtiko. Small amounts of red wine are also produced on Santorini, labeled as table wines, from the Mandilaria and Mavrotragano grape varieties.
The Vineyards... The island is known for strong winds called the meltemi that blow primarily during the summer months. To protect grapes, growers train their vines into a basket, or crown-like shape low to the ground. This nest of sturdy vines and foliage surrounds the bunches of fruit so that they may develop in the protected center of this formation.
An enormous volcanic explosion occurred about 3600 years ago to form what we know today as the island of Santorini. The island's crescent shape surrounds a large caldera, and a couple uninhabited islands, one of which is still an active volcano site and popular day-hiker's destination. The explosion in the island's past created its unique soil, which is incredibly important to the island's terroir. The composition is of sand with volcanic ash and pumice. This soil is famously uninhabitable by the phylloxera louse, which wiped out numerous European vineyards in the 19th Century by attacking the plants' roots, and is still a formidable vineyard pest. Because the louse cannot survive in Santorini's unwelcoming soil, there are centuries-old vines still thriving there today.
