What Makes Santorini Wine Unique

The Greek climate is especially favourable for growing grapes, but the majority of Greece is very rocky, which limits the growing areas. Luckily, the archipelago of Santorini is a group of islands which were created by a volcanic eruption around 1640 BC – this means the soil is very different around here (and it adds unique nuances of taste to the wine).

Wine has been a customary drink in Santorini since the Greek and Roman times. However, it gained fame around the Middle ages when the island was added to the Byzantine Empire as part of the Duchy of Naxos. It was during these times when Santorini wines gained popularity all throughout Europe. The sweetness and alcoholic levels of the wine allowed it to be exported– Santorini wine would not go bad even after a couple of months on a ship.

And it really tastes good (even better with a bit of Fava). It’s probably due to the fact that some types of grapes used to prepare it are indigenous. In fact, it tastes so good that even when the islands of Santorini were captured by the Ottoman Turks, they still allowed producing the wine (even though they’re Muslims). The Vinsanto wine of Santorini was also used by the Russian Orthodox Church. This impressive history can be felt in every sip.