What will be the next big thing in Greek wine after Santorini?

By Yiannis Karakasis MW

Over the last decade, Assyrtiko from Santorini has gained great acclaim in the world of wine, and this has contributed significantly to the fame Greece has acquired as an emerging wine country. Assyrtiko has particularly captivated the attention of sophisticated North American markets like that of New York City. Eric Asimov, the wine writer for the New York Times, has repeatedly praised the virtues of Assyrtiko, while venues as prestigious as the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park have embraced these wines and their distinctive salty footprint. Nevertheless, Greece also has a plethora of other native varieties—over 200 according to the Greek database—which grow on spectacular terroirs, and this cannot but prompt the question of what could be next for the country’s wine industry.