Located in the Southern region of the Aegean Sea the island of Santorini with its typical Mediterranean climate and soil that is mostly composed of volcanic ash and rocks is still a major producer of wines. Actually wine production on Santorini dates back to the early Greek and Roman empires. Wine exportation throughout the Mediterranean and Europe became very prominent during the Venetian rule. It was so successful that when the Ottoman Empire ruled Santorini in the late 16th century they allowed the trade of wine to continue. The weather on Santorini during the growing season is very warm with very little rain but high humidity. Much of the volcanic rock is porous and therefore retains the moisture from the humidity. This moisture is released at night for the vines to use, which makes up the major water source for not only the grapes but also all vegetation on Santorini. A layout of the volcanic soil on Santorini Santorini is also subject to high winds especially during the tourist off season. These high winds could easily damage vines grown the traditional way. The grape growers keep the vines low to the ground and individual vines are trained to grow in a continuous circular pattern which protects the grapes from being damaged by the winds. The characteristic birds nest shape of a vine Our winery tour took us to three wineries, Boutari, Gavalas and Venetsanos. Our tastings included some cheese, crackers, toasted bread and various types of meat to pair with the wines. Our guide for the tour was well versed in wine and food pairing and really made it not only very tasty but also educational. Each of the wineries has carved out it's own niche regarding the wines they produce. The final winery we visited was located on the high ground and therefore had a great view of the sunset. The wines we tried at Boutari Our food pairings at Boutari Some of the things we saw on our brief tour at the Gavalas winery Pairings at the Gavalas winery Sunset at the Venetsanos winery Our food pairing at the Venetsanos winery Santorini is well known for it's wine production and there are more than a dozen wineries on the little island. Also being one of the most touristic of the Greek isles it attracts many visitors and also cruise ships regularly stop there so it gets extremely crowded. The idea of taking a winery tour rather than driving yourself is very desirable, at least to me. Anyone interested in the Winery tour company we used please ask. Just send me a comment and I'll be glad to let you know who we used.
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