The Field Guide
Southern Greece & the Islands
Volcanic islands, a limestone peninsula and the oldest continuously planted vineyards in Europe. Seven appellations south of the Greek mainland's shoulder, where the whites are saline and the reds are older than the alphabet.
The mainland south · the islands · seven appellations
Southern Greece & the Islands
The history
Santorini's vines were never grafted, because phylloxera cannot live in the ash. Some of the island's vineyards have been in continuous production for centuries on their own roots.
The land
Volcanic pumice on Santorini, limestone and altitude at Nemea, and heat everywhere — answered by sea wind, elevation, and vines trained into baskets low to the ground.
Wine styles
Assyrtiko's dry, saline, high-acid whites; Agiorgitiko's soft dark reds; Mavrodaphne's fortified sweet reds from Patras; and Robola's stony whites from Cephalonian scree.
The underdogs to drink
Start with the grapes worth the detour. More guides land as we publish them.
Find your underdog
Take the two-minute taste quiz and get a starter list matched to what you already love — the lesser-known bottles worth chasing.
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