Assyrtiko

This bone-dry, minerally Greek white evokes the spirit of Santorini with every sip, says Ben McCormack

THE GRAPE

The windswept volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea is the spiritual home of assyrtiko, which has emerged in the past 20 years as the emblematic white grape of Greece – so much so that it is now found all over the mainland too. The majority of Santorini assyrtiko is unoaked to preserve the grape’s mineral character. Fuller-bodied wines marked as Nykteri are made from grapes picked at night to avoid hot temperatures and matured in oak for a minimum of three months, while sweet Vinsanto is made from sun-dried grapes. Top assyrtikos, such as the Artemis Karamolegos Papas (see The bottles, right), can age for a decade.

THE TASTE
Assyrtiko distils the classic postcard view of Santorini – cloudless blue skies, azure waters and blindingly white buildings baking in the sun – into bottled form: bone dry, piercingly pure and shot through with a saline streak. The volcanic soils lend a mineral note to the crisp, high acidity, while oaked examples add toasty flavours to the citrus. Assyrtiko from the Greek mainland tends to be fruitier, but with the same orange blossom perfume.

THE PAIRINGS
Conjure up plates you might enjoy on a Greek island getaway and you won’t go wrong: pan-fried fish with a squeeze of lemon, grilled seafood with a slug of olive oil, salads bristling with red onion and sharp with feta cheese, or cold plates of mezze – taramasalata, tahini, tzatziki – scooped up with crudités. Raw fish, whether sashimi or ceviche, is another excellent match.

THE VINES
In his book The Wines of Santorini, Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis claims that vines have grown on the island for 3,400 years and the grape is believed to be indigenous to Santorini. The volcanic soil is hostile to phylloxera, and the age of the vines and the fact that the roots can extend up to 18m in the black, ash-rich soil are what give the wines such depth of flavour and minerality. The vines on Santorini are trained close to the ground in shapes that look like tightly woven baskets to protect the grapes growing inside from wind damage and sunburn, while vines on the mainland are trained on trellises.