Assyrtiko
Santorini, Greece
Greece's finest white grape: intensely mineral and high in acid, grown in low, woven baskets on Santorini's volcanic soils.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Warm climate
Ripening
Mid season
Wine styles
Still, Dessert
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Greece
Background
Origin & History
Assyrtiko is the grape of the Aegean island of Santorini, where the vines grow on volcanic soils that have never been touched by phylloxera, so many are very old. The vines are trained into low baskets, called kouloura, that protect the grapes from the wind and sun.
The wines are bone-dry, saline and very high in acid, and stay fresh in the island's heat. A sweet wine, Vinsanto, is made from sun-dried grapes, and Assyrtiko is now also planted on the Greek mainland and in Australia.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Assyrtiko is an old variety of unknown origin.
No crossings involving Assyrtiko are documented in the collection yet.