Today we took a wine tasting tour to three of Santorini, Greece's 16 wine distilleries. Much of the island is covered in sand/volcanic rock from a volcano eruption 3600 years ago. They have created a special way for the grape vines to grow in a basket-like shape in order to withstand the lack of rain, strong wind, and different soil. Some of the vines have been growing for 150 to 200 years! Old vines produce a better wine but often get replaced because they don't produce as many grapes as a young vine. If you own 1 hectare of land (2.5 acres) on this island you mostly like own some type of grape. Much like beans or corn in the Midwest, grapes cover any livable space on Santorini. White wines dominate the island due to the fact that they need less water then red grapes. 80% of the wines produced are white wines, followed by reds and also their dessert wine called, "Vinsanto," which smells and tastes much like a raisin. We experienced some of the old bottling techniques along with some 21st intervention. We ended the day with a slight headache and a beautiful sunset dinner at, "Dimitris, Ammovdi Taverna."
-A
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