Santorini’s Sun-Kissed Wines from Its Star Grape: Assyrtiko
Greece’s native Assyrtiko grape did not enter the world stage with a bang. It took decades to reach the peak of interest it is currently enjoying among American wine consumers. That slow burn is now paying off dividends that would make Warren Buffet blush. Assyrtiko’s ascent has a lot to do with tourism: so many people visit the island of Santorini, the native home to this grape variety, and fall in love with the local wine. This volcanic island is still one of Greece’s great destinations, and its distinct basalt- and pumice-filled hillsides make for incredibly unique terroir that shapes the wines from this ancient variety. Sadly Santorini has reached a difficult point in its journey thanks to severe drought conditions and the overall cost of wine production on the island. What still makes it to the U.S. is incredibly special. I encourage you begin your own journey exploring his grape.
Assyrtiko has become so important and in demand that the grape has been planted well outside its native viticultural confines. Several producers have embraced it on mainland Greece, and it has become a core wine in many top Greek wine programs. The grape has become so popular that we are now seeing it emerge from other new world regions like California and South Australia.
However you shape it, there is much to love with this grape, and we now have a diverse supply from all over Greece for you to try. Assyrtiko is highly adaptive, and it is reflective of the unique terroirs from which it originates. Here are some of our favorites in stock now:
2023 Santo Assyrtiko Santorini Greece $24.99 This wine is made at the island’s main cooperative. It has been a staple and fan favorite for many, many years at K&L. Because of extreme weather conditions, Santorini Assyrtiko is harder and harder to find in the U.S, but Santo still remains one of the reliable resources for excellent wines from this engaging grape variety. Classic notes of dried pear, crushed rocks, and a kiss of salinity make this one of the most compelling values coming from the island.
2024 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini Greece $49.99 Sigalas remains one of the benchmark producers on the island of Santorini. And this bottling is one of the great ambassadors from from this region. We’ve only received a handful of bottles this year due to drought conditions, and we don’t expect to see anymore—so grab a few bottles while you can! This is the winery that launched the modern Assyrtiko revolution.
2023 Sigalas "Aa" Assyrtiko/Athiri Santorini Greece $29.99 This traditional blend is a throwback to when Assyrtiko was often combined with the island’s other indigenous, grape varieties, Aidani and Athiri. Notes of peach, apple, and an oyster-shell-like quality might make you think as much of Chablis as it does the island of Santorini.
2023 Athanasiou Winery Assyrtiko Peloponnese Greece $17.99 Thanks to the success of Assyrtiko from Santorini, many of the other regions have started planting the grape. This includes the Péloponnèse, where other white grapes like Savatiano and Roditis have been the tradition. Assyrtiko does extremely well here and finds stylistic influence from the decomposing granitic and limestone slopes. This new producer for us works in a low-intervention method with all native yeasts. This is a pristine and engaging Assyrtiko.
2023 Skouras "Wild Ferment" Assyrtiko Péloponnèse Greece $17.99 George Skouras is one of the icons of winemaking in Greece. He originally became famous for making his Mégas Oenos, where he combined combined Cabernet Sauvignon with the indigenous grape Agiorgitiko. Known for advancing indigenous grapes and experimenting with varieties from other regions, it is no surprise that he was one of the early adopters of Assyrtiko. George consistently makes one of the best versions from the mainland. The wild ferment was done with all native yeast and has lovely characteristics of dried apple, peach pit, and a light dusting of that saline minerality that we crave from this grape, especially those that come from Santorini.
2022 Markogianni Winery "Typaeon" Assyrtiko Peloponnese Greece $17.99 Markogianni is one of the great new producers being brought into the U.S. wine market. All of their wines are made in a low-intervention style with minimal to no sulfite additions. They also make more user-friendly styles that showcase plenty of crunchy minerality, with citrus and stone fruit notes. I expect this to become one of the highest repeat purchases for fans of this category.
2024 Mylonas Assyrtiko Attiki Greece $17.99 The Mylonas winery is just outside of Athens. It has some of the most mineral-heavy soils in the entirety of the world—so much so that its high mineral content and diversity have made it a UNESCO heritage site. The story behind how the winery came to be in possession of Assyrtiko is an interesting one in and of itself: In the early days of their production they were sourcing grapes from other regions and had ordered a batch of red grapes from Santorini. Well before Assyrtiko was an important grape variety, one of the growers that they purchased grapes from had actually stuffed a bunch of white grapes underneath a layer of red grapes. When they tasted the grapes they decided that they had to get cuttings immediately and start planting! They're one of the earliest adopters of Assyrtiko on the mainland. Their wine has striking acidity and minerality, with a succulent crushed oyster-shell-like quality.
2023 Alexakis Assyrtiko Crete Greece $15.99 One of the greatest values coming out of Crete!
2017 Domaine Economou "Phi" Assyrtiko Crete Greece $89.99 The wines of Economou are some of the most singular that are produced in all of Greece. Passion is always on display with every sip of these wines, which are only released after years of aging, when they are ready to start drinking. This 2017 has breadth and depth with notes of apple marmalade and dried tangerine. The levels of extract feel unbound but the wine is impeccably balanced. The length of the finish is haunting. Economou’s wines are world class and transcend region.