By the oenologist Antigoni Karamvali

Summer has arrived and perhaps some of us will have the opportunity to travel to the Cyclades, which since ancient times has been associated with the cultivation of the vine.

Starting from Santorini which gives us unique wines, thanks to its climate and its volcanic soil. It produces excellent wines, 80% white from the varieties Assyrtiko, Athiri and Aydani and 20% red from the variety, mainly Mandilaria.

The vines are planted at large distances from each other and planted in a “basket” on the ground or “wreath” to protect them from strong winds.

In Santorini, we will taste the dry white wine “Santorini”, the “Nychteri”, a wine with oxidative characters, the “Visanto”, a sweet, smooth wine aged in oak barrels.

In Paros, we also find excellent wines from the Mandilaria (red) and Monemvasia (white) varieties. The vines, here, form a steep slope towards the ground, making “spreading walls” to protect themselves from the strong winds.

We also find vineyards of low intensity in Naxos, mainly in Mandilaria and Athiri.

It is a unique opportunity to visit the traditional and modern wineries of the islands and their unique vineyards and especially to enjoy their unique wines.