“The iconic grape variety of Santorini is the indigenous Assyrtiko. It is fresh at the front of the mouth, but finishes with an overwhelming mineralogy combined with a salty tang. It is a unique taste experience.” Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER files from Greece. 

I’m just leaving the island of Santorini, Greece, on a ferry to another island, Paros. The travel is part of a tour that started in the north of Greece, Thessaloniki, and takes us down to the islands via such iconic destinations as Delphi. 

Tourists are the lifeblood of Greece: in 2023 tourism comprised 13 per cent of the country’s GDP with this figure set to rise as in 2024. The Greek Government said that in that year, visitor arrivals and tourist revenue had reached their highest levels ever.

In Santorini part of the tourist experience was a wine tasting of three wines at the Venetsanos winery perched high in the hills at the village of Megalochori. 

Santorini grows grapes despite the rainfall being limited to five or six days a year. Because of high winds, grapes are grown in the volcanic soil in a cluster or spiral formation, unirrigated. 

The grapes obtain water from the humid atmosphere. The vines suck in the moisture just like the vendors on the island suck money from the tourists. In one restaurant a fairly ordinary glass of red wine was 14 euro or just over $A25.

The iconic grape variety of Santorini is the indigenous Assyrtiko. The Nykteri Venetsanos 2022 that we tasted was 100 per cent Assyrtiko. 

It is fresh at the front of the mouth, but finishes with an overwhelming minerality combined with a salty tang. It is a unique taste experience. But at 44 euro a bottle (around $A79) from the winery, it will remain a one-off for me.

The winery does sell a lot to tourists with the woman who presented the tasting saying they were expecting 150 people that day, many from the four cruise ships anchored in the caldera that is the basin of Santorini and surrounding islands.

The second wine was a semi-dry rose’, the 2022 Anagallis Venetsanos, a blend of Mandalina and Assytiko. It was an easy quaffing wine ideally suited to the climate especially given the stunning view from the winery’s terrace overlooking Athinios, the main port. The rose’ was 27 euro.

The third wine also forms a part of the island’s heritage: a Vinsanto that is a complex dessert wine. It is made from sun-dried grapes with Assyrtiko prominent. It is not fortified and is only 11 per cent alcohol by volume. Honey and dried fruit fill the mouth and, chilled, it was a good fit for a hot day. 

The tasting was done at warp speed and our group wasn’t treated with the sweetness of the third wine. We were told to return to our seats inside as we were in the way of other customers who wanted to experience the view.

Tourist numbers around the world grow. But the people who live in popular spots often detest the visitors. A sign seen in Crete: If they call it tourist season, why can’t we shoot them.