Santorini’s Wine Harvest

The island of Santorini resulted from a violent volcanic eruption millennia ago. Consequently, the earth is gray or black volcanic ash and looks dead. But, the ashen lava is the secret ingredient of Santorini’s wine success. The Cycladic vine is circular and lies in a depression in the ground to protect it from the strong Aegean winds. New shoots are woven around the stump in the shape of a basket or wreath, a clever technique allowing water, a scarce item on Santorini, to collect from nocturnal fogs.

Click here to read a personal account about picking grapes in Thirasia with Pappou in August, 2008 by Colleen McGuire