Mediterranean Cruise and Rome

Our guide recommended the 8th generation winery called Estate Argyros Winery not far from the Kamari beach area and right beside the Santorini Brewing Company…which, unfortunately was closed today, a Sunday. She dropped us off at the winery where we enjoyed a wine and food pairing tasting with a tour. This winery prioduces 400,000 bottles per year and exports 60% of it. Most of the grapes they grow are white grapes, about 80% versus much fewer red grapes. The tasting room was extremely modern and had incredible lightning. The winery is undergoing an expansion, and this location started in 2014 and was completed in 2018, with more construction to increase wine production.

We tried 4 wines today:

1 - Assyrtiko - the most popular grape with 100-120 yr old vines, recommended to drink w food, this wine can hold for up to 10 years which will reduce the acidity

2 - Athiri - an aromatic grape, easy to drink and ready to drink now, this is our favorite and we ended up buying a bottle to take home

3 - Vinsanto - sweet dessert wine

4 - Rose - blend of white and red varietals

We also took a short tour to learn more about the unique wine production in the area. The guide shared the 2 different ways they grow the grapes. It’s very unique in that the grapes are on the ground versus hanging down. The grapes don’t grow in soil, but in volcanic ash. Because it’s in volcanic ash, they don’t have to use pesticides. The main way of growing the grapes is twisting the vines into a circular formation that looks like a bird’s nest. The “vine nest” traps the morning humidity providing the perfect climate for grape growing. Because there are fewer red grapes, they are trying to find new ways of growing them to increase production.Read more