Grape

Assyrtiko

Assyrtiko is by far Greece’s most renowned white grape variety, associated most famously with the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. Following its notable success, it is now grown successfully all over Greece and beyond in Clare Valley, Australia, South Africa and California, being the first Greek grape to become international. It has developed a reputation as being a versatile grape variety, producing wines in a multitude of styles, from fresh, mineral white wines to oaked, worth keeping ones and from bold complex reds to rıch matured dessert wines, such as Vinsanto.

Compact clusters of large, moderately thick-skinned berries, late budding and late ripening. Vigorous and productive, resistant to drought, disease and wind and capable of maintaining high acidity up to the final stages of the ripening period. In Santorini it is trained in the characteristic baskets, sitting close to the ground and named “kouloures” by the locals.

Producer

Gavalas

Continuing a long tradition of winemakers, spanning over three centuries, the Gavalas family has been exclusively engaged with the vinification of a number of indigenous varieties grown on the island of Santorini.

They have been working particularly on the unknown varieties of Santorini, beyond Assyrtiko and they are the Santorinian winery with most wine labels produced by indigenous varieties, including the almost extinct Katsano variety, from which they produce a unique and notable white wine, capable of ageing slowly and gracefully. The combination of traditional and modern winemaking methods and the unique volcanic soil and open sea climate of the island assist them in producing fine and balanced wines of vibrant fruity character, refreshing acidity and unique minerality. Their Santorini Natural Ferment and Nykteri labels are very good expressions of the local star Assyrtiko variety, whereas their benchmark Santorini, in the iconic Aegean blue bottle, keeps on gaining fans.