Vinsanto

The story of Vinsanto is inextricably linked with Santorini. The making of this lusciously sweet wine dates back thousands of years, and is an important piece of not only the kaleidoscope of Santorinian wine, but our cultural history.

Several theories exist about how Vinsanto got its name. The two prevailing are that the name is an abbreviation of “vino di Santorini” (wine of Santorini) or of “vino santo” (holy wine). Regardless of how it got its name, this wine has been enticing sweet lovers since around the 12th century and it is now a term that is allowed to appear only on wine from Santorini.

Vinsanto is a wine created out of love and patience. First, the winemaker must allow the grapes to hang on the vine past their usual harvest date while they continue to ripen and develop sugar. Then, after finally harvesting them, grapes are laid out to dry under the sun. These desiccated grapes do not give up a lot of juice, but that which they offer is richly flavored with concentrated amounts of sugar. After vinification is complete, the wine ages for several years in a barrel where it continues to develop and deepen. 

If love and attention are the first two ingredients for Vinsanto, the remaining two are serious attention and craft. It takes great skill to not only create a balanced Vinsanto, but to produce one that stands out and has a personality unique among its kind. In 2017, when we began our journey to our own Vinsanto, we wanted to honor the wine’s tradition on the island but put our own spin on it. To do so, we thought of the wines that we enjoy drinking: those with sapidity, finesse, and elegance. That is what we wanted to bring to our Vinsanto. Of all our wines, it holds an especial place of pride as we achieved exactly what we set out to do: less sugar content, less volatile acidity, more ethereal aromas, and perfect balance. 

The Vassaltis Vinsanto, a Vinsanto like no other.