Santorini

Santorini is an archipelago, where wine has been produced since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the middle ages it was ruled by the Venetians, who continued to produce wine there, and the region became known for sweet wines high in alcohol. The islands have a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine and cooling breezes from the ocean. Soils are made up of volanic ash and rock with porous calcareous subsoils. The best modern wines are probably from the indigenous white grape variety Assyrtiko, which is high in acid and has citrus and mineral characteristics.