In My Glass

It’s all Greek to Me

sanTorInI Is specTacular, InTeresTIng and exasperaTIng

by Trevor Burton photography by Trevor Burton

Santorini is, quite simply, stunning. There are villages that seem to defy gravity. They are built into the side of high cliffs. And the views of the Aegean Sea from them are out of this world. Santorini has become one of the most popular destinations on earth and, to me, that’s a problem—too many tourists. But there’s a way to evade tourist hoards and to enjoy what the island offers.

Cruise behemoths are a real problem. Thousands of cruisers come in at the town of Fira, the capital of Santorini. To get up the steep cliff and into the town there are a couple of options. The most palatable option is to take a cable car up the side of the cliff. When a cruise ship disgorges passengers, a huge line builds up at the cable car entrance. Waiting in line in the hot sun is not my idea of fun. Especially when cable cars take you up to a town that’s filled with tourists and just walking down the street is laborious. I avoid it, I head away from it. I head for the Old Port and a restaurant named, Lombranos.

Lombranos is a little bit of a hike down some zig-zag steps but it sure beats the cable car line. It’s best described as an old seafood taverna. Given the island’s location, you can be confident that all the seafood is fresh. It’s cooked very simply, my preference is grilled. Sitting by the Old Port with a meal of simple seafood along with a glass of local wine and contemplating the cable car line is my idea of perfect.

And that brings me to another reason I like Santorini so much, wine. The spectacular vistas on Santorini owe a lot to the way the island was formed. In about 1,600 B.C. there was a huge volcanic eruption that covered the island with volcanic soil. This soil is infertile and thin. Grapes have to struggle to survive. And that’s where unique tastes come from. Vines dig deep down into the earth for sustaining moisture. Along the way, they extract all kinds of goodies from the soil. Tough for the vines, great for us. Also, Greece has created an incentive for the preservation of traditional varieties of grapes. That’s important, it creates an environment that produces distinctive wines.

So, my other way of avoiding tourist hoards is to visit some local winery and hang out with the winemaker. I like exploring the local grapes, rarely seen at our neighborhood wine merchants. On one visit, I was drawn to one particular wine, a dessert wine called Vinsanto. The wine can be confused with an Italian wine, Vin Santo—Holy Wine. Vinsanto is, by no means, a holy wine. The story is that its name can be traced back to the 16th Century, when wine was exported in barrels branded as wine (vin) from Santorini (Santo).

Vinsanto is still produced in Santorini’s traditional method. It’s made from indigenous grapes. Wines are at least 50 percent Assyrtico, with smaller percentages of Athiri and Aidani. After harvest, grapes are left to air-dry in the sun for one to two weeks. They undergo a long and slow fermentation. Then they are barrel-aged for several years. The wine will typically take on darker, amber colors. Several bottles of Vinsanto accompanied me home.

There’s a non-touristy side to Santorini that’s delightful. When cruise ships sail away and the all-inclusive crowd goes home, the place calms down. The views are still there and are beguiling. And a glass or two of local wine definitely helps.

An indigenous wine from Santorini.

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