Key takeaways: Originating from Santorini, Assyrtiko draws its mineral character and marked acidity from volcanic soil. Resistant to drought and phylloxera, this ancient grape variety asserts itself as a solution to climate change. With only 1.4 hectares cultivated in France, it remains a treasure to discover. For a first tasting, Gaia Nōtios Blanc is an excellent starting point.
Looking for an Assyrtiko grape variety that combines raw minerality and exceptional heat resistance? Discover the soul of Santorini, where this Greek white grape variety draws its iodized aromas and lively acidity from ancient volcanic terroir. Cultivated in Greece since Antiquity, it now adapts to climate challenges, even seducing California and Australia. Its old ungrafted vines, traditional "kouloura" pruning method, and aromatic palette—citrus, gunflint, hazelnut—make it a complex white wine, ideal for lovers of intense flavors. Discover why this forgotten treasure now inspires global viticulture.
- Origins and history of Assyrtiko grape variety
- Unique characteristics and volcanic terroir
- Use in wine production
- The history and unique terroir of Santorini
- The expansion of Assyrtiko grape variety in Greece and worldwide
- Profile of Assyrtiko grape variety
- The multiple faces of Assyrtiko wine
- A grape variety for the future facing climate change
Origins and history of Assyrtiko grape variety
Assyrtiko embodies Santorini's viticultural soul. This white grape variety, born in volcanic ash soils, naturally resists phylloxera. Cultivated since Antiquity, it became structured in the 13th century. Santorini houses 80% of Assyrtiko vines, Greece's key grape variety. Its ability to retain acidity in hot climates makes it an asset against climate change.
Unique characteristics and volcanic terroir
Santorini's volcanic soil gives Assyrtiko low pH and lively acidity. Under Mediterranean sun, its berries reveal citrus and sea salt notes. Sea winds refresh clusters, while "kouloura" pruning protects grapes. This terroir produces dry white wines compared to Chablis or Riesling.
Use in wine production
From Santorini to California, Assyrtiko reveals its versatility. In Santorini, it produces dry wines like Nykteri or Vinsanto, sweet wine barrel-aged. Blended with Sauvignon Blanc or Sémillon, it brings vivacity. Its heat wave resistance proves that minerality and terroir transcend wine borders.
The history and unique terroir of Santorini
An ancient grape variety forged by volcanoes
The Assyrtiko grape variety draws its roots from Santorini's volcanic history, an island marked by the Minoan eruption several millennia ago. This catastrophe covered the soil with ash and solidified lava, forming exceptional mineral terroir. This soil, poor in clay (less than 2%), protected vines from phylloxera, a parasite that devastated European vineyards in the 19th century. Santorini thus preserves "own-rooted" vines over 70 years old, some approaching 300 years, a global rarity.
This terroir gives Assyrtiko wines their inimitable aromas: saline and iodized minerality, reminiscent of sea breeze. The "meltemi" wind preserves lively acidity despite heat. These conditions produce white wines with remarkable balance, with citrus and gunflint aromas.
The "kouloura": an ancestral pruning method
To adapt to Santorini's extreme conditions—violent winds, drought—winemakers practice "kouloura." Vines are braided into basket shapes on the ground, protecting grapes from weather and capturing nocturnal humidity. This system reduces evaporation and limits phytosanitary treatments, preserving cluster health.
Santorini's Assyrtiko is the purest expression of a grape variety surviving in an extreme environment, drawing its minerality and unique character directly from volcanic rock.
Today still, 80% of vines use this technique. The "kouloura" adapts perfectly to the environment: its nest shape protects grapes from desiccation while controlling their sun exposure. This method, passed down through generations, symbolizes harmony between tradition and ecology, preserving ancient expertise in a vineyard shaped by fire and wind.
The expansion of Assyrtiko grape variety in Greece and worldwide
From the Aegean Sea to mainland Greece
While Santorini remains its historic cradle, Assyrtiko has expanded well beyond its native island. This white grape variety, third most planted in Greece in 2008 with 1,704 hectares, embodies today a true national viticultural success.
Assyrtiko's adaptability explains this gradual expansion. Outside Santorini, it's mainly found in:
- Aegean islands like Paros, where maritime climate reveals other facets of its aromas
- Chalkidiki on the mainland, benefiting from clay soils different from volcanic ash
- More scattered regions like Macedonia, Crete, or Epirus
Wines produced outside Santorini nevertheless retain this characteristic acidic structure, even if clay-limestone or schist soils subtly modify its aromatic expression.
A promising international conquest
Beyond Greek borders, Assyrtiko arouses growing interest thanks to its unique qualities. Its adaptation to hot climates, without acidity loss, particularly intrigues.
Australian winemakers adopted it in the 2000s in Clare Valley, renowned for its extreme climates. In Northern California, first plantings date back to 2011, after decades of experimentation since cuttings imported in 1948.
These two wine regions, though geographically distant, confirm the grape variety's ability to adapt to varied terroirs while maintaining its identity, mineral marked by citrus and gunflint.
Profile of Assyrtiko grape variety
In the vineyard: vigor and resistance
Assyrtiko is distinguished by its vigor and semi-upright growth. Its medium and compact clusters bear round berries, modest-sized, wrapped in thick yellow-gold skin. This grape variety thrives in extreme conditions, thanks to its resistance to drought, intense heat, and sea winds. On Santorini's volcanic island, it acclimates perfectly to an arid environment, where ash-rich soils offer favorable terrain for its growth. Its old ungrafted vines even show phylloxera resistance, a rare and precious asset.
A complex and mineral aromatic profile
Assyrtiko is celebrated for its ability to maintain high acidity, even in torrid climates. This freshness translates on the palate into lively and persistent aromas. Here are the dominant notes:
- Citrus: lemon, orange zest, grapefruit.
- Mineral notes: gunflint, iodized traces, salinity.
- Fruits and flowers: pineapple, pear, apple, white flowers.
- Aging aromas: beeswax, hazelnut with age.
This symbiosis between acidity and minerality makes it an exceptional dry white wine, ideal for accompanying Mediterranean dishes. The complexity of its flavors reflects its anchoring in unique terroirs.
Assyrtiko identity card
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Greece (Santorini Island) |
| Type | White grape variety |
| Acidity | High to very high |
| Main profile | Mineral, citrus, saline |
| Aging potential | Good to excellent, suitable for aging |
| Particularity | Retains acidity in hot climate, resistant to phylloxera in Santorini |
Wines from Assyrtiko combine structure and freshness, with marked minerality. They also reveal floral and fruity nuances, while maintaining rare vivacity. This versatility is explained by its adaptation to volcanic soils, but also by its intrinsic qualities of concentration and finesse.
The multiple faces of Assyrtiko wine
The influence of winemaking techniques
Assyrtiko's personality reveals itself through winemaker's choices. In stainless steel tanks, as in Ligas or Markrogianni wines, it preserves its vivacity and citrus aromas. In neutral oak barrels, it gains roundness, revealing hazelnut and wax notes, while maintaining its signature acidity.
Lees aging, practiced by Domaine Ligas, adds fatty texture and unprecedented complexity. These technical decisions transform a unique grape variety into a spectrum of profiles, captivating structured white wine enthusiasts.
Varied styles for all tastes
From mineral freshness of dry whites to creaminess of dessert wines, Assyrtiko adapts to all palates. This versatility explains its rising popularity well beyond Santorini vineyards.
- Dry white wines: Invigorating, dominated by citrus and minerality.
- Sweet wines (Vinsanto): Made from dried grapes, offering concentrated honey and apricot flavors.
- Sparkling wines: A rarity that exploits its natural acidity for elegant bubbles.
- Blended wines: Associated with Sauvignon Blanc or Malagousia, it refines blend balance.
This diversity invites exploring its multiple expressions, as one can discover wines by their grape variety, revealing at each tasting the richness of a variety with a thousand facets.
A grape variety for the future facing climate change
A natural response to heat and drought
Facing climate change, Assyrtiko proves to be a precious resource, capable of producing fresh and balanced wines where other grape varieties struggle to maintain their acidity.
Native to Santorini, this white grape variety withstands temperatures up to 45°C thanks to its "basket" cultivation method, where coiled vines form a protective crown. This ancestral technique preserves clusters from sea winds and extreme heat. Even in extreme conditions, Assyrtiko maintains high acidity, producing mineral wines with citrus, gunflint, and pineapple notes.
Assyrtiko's arrival in France
Listed in the French catalog in 2015, Assyrtiko is being experimented with in Languedoc. Château La Roque, in AOC Pic Saint-Loup, planted 0.5 hectares in 2016. Its vines resisted the 2019 heatwave better than vermentino, grenache, or carignan. In Pyrénées-Orientales, the Chamber of Agriculture tests 90 strains, while Domaine du Chapitre cultivates 400 vines in Hérault.
The Green Vinum project, funded at €72,500, brings together Greek and French winemakers to exchange on climate adaptation. Although limited to 1.4 hectares in 2018, these experiments could influence AOC specifications. With its drought potential, Assyrtiko embodies a sustainable solution, whose concrete results will be visible around 2030.
Assyrtiko is a white grape variety born in Santorini, Cyclades, cultivated on volcanic soils (ash, lava). This terroir produces mineral, lively wines with remarkable acidity even in heat. Resistant to drought and phylloxera thanks to bird's nest pruning, it produces dry, sweet, or sparkling whites with citrus and pineapple aromas. Its ability to preserve freshness in extreme climates positions it as a grape variety for the future facing warming. In France, recognized in 2015, it seduces regions like Languedoc. To discover this grape variety, Gaia Nōtios Blanc is an ideal reference.
Assyrtiko embodies the mineral soul of volcanic soils of Santorini, combining lively acidity and iodized aromas. Exceptional grape variety for the future, it adapts to hot climates while preserving its unique character. To discover its nuances, let yourself be guided by Gaia Nōtios Blanc, authentic reflection of this Greek variety.
