Six under-appreciated grape varieties

Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece 

This is white wine grape variety usually found in hot and dry Santorini, Greece, a country described by Jancis Robinson MW as “fertile ground for interesting wines that are definitely Greek”.

The grape is planted all over Greece but it’s best when it’s grown on the volcanic soil of  Santorini. It’s now Greece’s third most widely planted white grape variety.

Marked by its high acidity, the wines made from this grape variety often have good structure and can age well, Robinson noted. Outside of Greece, it’s rare to find this wine, but Peter Barry, of Jim Barry winery in Australia, was so impressed with the wine on his holiday to Greece that he took some Assyrtiko plantings back home and launched an Australian Assyrtiko.

One of the representative Greek wineries that has been making quality Assyrtiko is Domaine Sigalas. Its 2015 Assyrtiko has a prominent bay leaf character that is a persistent feature for Greek white wines, according to Robinson.