Santorini is an island known for its rich wine and food variety. Since time immemorial the locals have been creating unique flavors that can amaze even the most pretentious palates. Join us and our Head of Wine, Sotiris Kandylis at the story of Santorini wines.
Afterward, the farmers of the island started to make their own wines for their own use. This is why hundreds of canaves (caves carved in the rocks of the caldera where locals used to store the wine) are to be found around the island. Wine in Santorini became industrial when Venetsanos, the first winery opened.
More recently, in 2004 on the occasion of the Olympics organised in Greece, the promotion of local products and PDO wines started. “There was a big demand for the Santorinian wine and quantities were limited, so finding it became the quest of the Holy Grail” Sotiris states.
Finally, Sotiris says, “The winemakers play a significant role by giving soul to the efforts of nature and Anthropos *(human being). They do that knowing the great responsibility they carry.”
* The use of the Greek word Anthropos was in purpose. When we use the word human, we refer to the materialist meaning of it, but when we use Anthropos we refer also to the mental dimension. According to Plato, Anthropos is different from the other beasts because the beasts do not investigate, ponder, or observe anything carefully. On the other hand, Anthropos sees and observes carefully and thinks. “The one who examines what he has seen”. This is why we study anthropology and not humanology.
The dominant variety is the white wine Assyrtiko covering the 75% of the production, then other Santorini white wines follow with 20% and only 5% of the production is red wine. Let’s not forget the famous Vinsanto, a naturally dessert wine that combines acidity and intense sweetness.
He also claims that wine is strongly intertwined with food. “Since we are constantly improving the gastronomic experience here at Andronis, the wine one is also being enhanced. We could not say that we emphasize in gastronomy, without improving the wine pairing experience as well. We want to create unique experiences for our guests, help them discover new combinations and enrich their palates with new styles and flavors.”
Since the Andronis restaurants and their cuisines are really different from one to the other, so is the wine pairing experience in each one. At Lauda we provide the Premium Wine Pairing, then at Lycabettus, one should try the Champagne pairing for a totally unique experience and at Opson, since the cuisine focuses on tastes of Ancient Greece, one will try winemaking with the least human interaction. “Our approach to wine is different as we adapt our choices to the needs of the customer and the style of the restaurant” Sotiris sums up.
Do you want to find out about Santorinian cuisine? Read our article about the Shining Stars of the Santorinian Cuisine.
