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Kostas Antoniou
The operation moved into a new facility in 2001, an historic winery dating from 1946 that was built by visionary Santorionote Yiorgos Venitzanos. Although winemaking will be done in an adjacent facility, it is worth mentioning that the original winery is a fascinating, textbook case of architectural pragmatism, worth visiting on its own merits. The structure, carved out of the cliffs above the main harbor of the island is a gravity-driven winery built on several levels. In its day, grapes were loaded into pressing wells from holes in the roof. Must was then directed into six huge fermentation tanks carved out of the cliffs. Upon completion, the wine was then poured–not pumped–from the rear of the bottom level through a nearly one-thousand-foot hose to the holds of waiting ships in the harbor. The structure, as well as much of its original equipment has been preserved as a museum. The top level, with its breathtaking view of the harbor, caldera and Fira, functions as a wine bar, the level just below a tourist market. Although there are several wineries worth visiting on the island, Antoniou's is a must. Impressive as the winery is, it's appeal would be artificial were it not for some serious effort behind the wines. We met up with Garifalos Alagiannis, Antoniou's articulate and engaging oenologist, who was doing double duty on our arrival serving wine flights in a stiff wind to guests seated at the edge of that magnificent precipice. Alagiannis is an enthusiastic member of the new generation of Greek oenologists. He studied in Athens with Yiannis Paraskevopoulos before cutting his chops in Mesogeio. After three years in Santorini, he has developed an intimate knowledge of the island's many idiosyncrasies, illuminating them, however, with an outsider's objectivity. Alagiannis explained why strict estate winemaking would have a negative, rather than positive effect on the overall quality of Santorini wines: "In Santorini you need the insurance of being able to source grapes from different areas. This provides producers a means of compensating for the uneven annual variation in weather. Our system insures that even in bad years we all get a shot at good fruit." He can rattle off the ripening calendar of the islands various sub-regions and how Thirassia, a small island in the archipelago has produced the best fruit during the last three years. At once serious and jovial, Alagiannis is a keen observer of the industry on the island, happy to regale us with anecdotes about his former mentor, Paraskevopoulos and Hatzinikolaou, to whom he respectfully attributes a philosophy that "wine tastes like the man–especially if it's too acidic." Alagiannis' serious side returned when our tasting began. The portfolio is focused; three wines based primarily on the three most notable of Santorini's 23 or so white varieties; Asyrtiko, Aidani Aspro and Athiri. Santorini 2000 This wine, made up of about 90% Asyrtiko, displays typical aromas of citrus. Translucent straw color, earthy fruit on the palate with a little bitter peach. Refreshing and complex both. Vareli 2000 This wine aims to suggest an authentic Santorini Nychteri. Its color, a vermouth-like yellow with brown tints, shows the effect of 10 months aging in new oak. The flavors of traditional Nychteri, described in wine travelogues as colorless, may well be present in the packed fruit that accompanies quite a bit of up front vanilla and oak aftertaste. For all this activity, it is still relatively light in body as Santorini wines go; complex but understated. Vinsanto The Antoniou Vinsanto was the most honest and down to earth we tasted on the island. The outcome of a relatively short (one week) drying period of fruit consisting mainly of Aidani and Athiri, the raisin flavor is nonetheless unadulterated. Clearly aiming for a sweet wine rather than just a dessert wine, Alagiannis says, "our goal is to make a sweet wine with dry wine characteristics." Another goal of the winemaking is something he calls "candle" flavor, meaning a mouthcoating feel of beeswax that mitigates some of the residual sugar in the wine. While this was not the most sophisticated Vinsanto we tried, it was certainly the most charming; a delicious and unpretentious treat. The wines of Antoniou were an obvious hit with a couple we met, honeymooners from New York getting the most out of their Santorini experience. The wines are exported to America, where they have developed a steady market among Greek Americans in the know. This year, with the transition to the new winemaking facility fully accomplished, Antoniou can expect a steady flow of visitors to his remarkable museum, and an increased awareness among the new converts this irresistible experience will undoubtedly generate. |
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Vinsanto 
