Assyrtiko
Today, we're off to the little Greek island of Santorini, about 200 miles southeast of Athens and just north of Cyprus. The weather is warm most of the year with summers that can be quite hot.
Santorini is a volcanic island. When we combine that volcanic soil with the often extreme heat, we get growing conditions that can leave the grapes incredibly stressed. To combat that, we need a hearty grape.
Enter Assyrtiko, one of the few grapes of Europe that never fell victim to the phylloxera blight. It's one of the most acidic of all white grapes despite harvesting quite late in the season.
In Greece, Assyrtiko is used in both dry and sweet (dessert) wine production. In the dry single-varietal versions, expect a wine that is comfortable being served quite chilled to calm the acidity. On the nose, we find notes of bright citrus and tea leaves with strong minerality. While it is often blended with other grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, whether in combination or by itself, Assyrtiko pairs extremely well with shellfish. The minerality and natural notes of lemon make for a wonderful marriage with shrimp cocktail, raw oysters, or clams on the half shell.
In its sweet production, Assyrtiko is a predominant grape in Greek Vinsanto. For those who have treasured the Italian dessert wine of a similar name, you may note that the Italian version is made of two words while the Greek version is only one. This was the way the Greeks were able to dance around Italy's claim to this wine.
In Vinsanto, you get a viscous, sweet wine brimming with nectars of apricot, golden raisins, and perhaps quince, surrounded by sweet spice in a still very minerally wine. As one might expect, this wonderful Greek dessert wine pairs very well with Greek dessert. Consider having yours with Baklava.
Santorini is a volcanic island. When we combine that volcanic soil with the often extreme heat, we get growing conditions that can leave the grapes incredibly stressed. To combat that, we need a hearty grape.
Enter Assyrtiko, one of the few grapes of Europe that never fell victim to the phylloxera blight. It's one of the most acidic of all white grapes despite harvesting quite late in the season.
In Greece, Assyrtiko is used in both dry and sweet (dessert) wine production. In the dry single-varietal versions, expect a wine that is comfortable being served quite chilled to calm the acidity. On the nose, we find notes of bright citrus and tea leaves with strong minerality. While it is often blended with other grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, whether in combination or by itself, Assyrtiko pairs extremely well with shellfish. The minerality and natural notes of lemon make for a wonderful marriage with shrimp cocktail, raw oysters, or clams on the half shell.
In its sweet production, Assyrtiko is a predominant grape in Greek Vinsanto. For those who have treasured the Italian dessert wine of a similar name, you may note that the Italian version is made of two words while the Greek version is only one. This was the way the Greeks were able to dance around Italy's claim to this wine.
In Vinsanto, you get a viscous, sweet wine brimming with nectars of apricot, golden raisins, and perhaps quince, surrounded by sweet spice in a still very minerally wine. As one might expect, this wonderful Greek dessert wine pairs very well with Greek dessert. Consider having yours with Baklava.
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