Vinsanto is Santorini’s prized amber dessert wine, made from sun-dried, mainly Assyrtiko grapes and matured in oak casks for years, one of the oldest wines in the Mediterranean. This guide covers what Vinsanto is, its history, how it is made, the taste and where to try it on the island.
Vinsanto is the sweet treasure of the wider Santorini travel guide. It is unique to the island. The sections below cover Vinsanto.
What is Vinsanto?
Vinsanto is a sweet, amber dessert wine produced only in Santorini under the PDO designation, made mainly from sun-dried Assyrtiko grapes and aged in oak. Rich and long-lived, it ranks among the oldest wines in the Mediterranean, distinct from the Italian Vin Santo.
Vinsanto is Santorini’s most celebrated sweet wine. Protected under the PDO Santorini appellation, it is made predominantly from the island’s flagship Assyrtiko grape, blended with smaller amounts of Athiri and Aidani, the grapes sun-dried after harvest to concentrate their sugars before fermenting and ageing in oak. The result is a deep amber, intensely sweet yet beautifully balanced wine with great depth and a remarkable capacity to age for decades. Though it shares a name with the Italian Vin Santo, Santorini’s version is its own ancient tradition, made on volcanic soil that has yielded wine for over three and a half thousand years, set within the wider Santorini wine. Its name has a story.
What is the history of Vinsanto?
Vinsanto is one of the oldest wines in the Mediterranean, with sweet Santorini wines traded since Classical and Hellenistic times. The name dates to the Venetian era, when wine exported from the island was labelled vino di Santorini, later shortened to Vinsanto.
Vinsanto’s roots run deep into antiquity. Santorini has made wine for over three and a half millennia, and sweet wines resembling Vinsanto were traded around the Aegean in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The wine became especially renowned in the Middle Ages, when the Venetians controlled the island after the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 and built an extensive trade network that carried Santorini’s sweet wine across the Mediterranean and Europe. Packages from the island were marked “Santo” to show their origin, and the wine itself denoted “vino”, giving rise over time to the name Vinsanto. It has been a prized export and a symbol of the island ever since, set out alongside the guide to Santorini history. Making it is a labour of patience.
How is Vinsanto made?
Vinsanto is made from late-harvested grapes sun-dried for around 12 to 14 days to concentrate the sugars, then fermented and aged in oak for at least 24 months, often far longer. It uses mostly Assyrtiko, with Athiri and Aidani making up the rest.
Vinsanto is the product of patience and sun. After a late harvest, the grapes are laid out to dry in the strong Santorini sun for about 12 to 14 days, shrivelling into raisins as the water evaporates and the sugars intensify. They are then pressed and slowly fermented, before the wine is matured in oak casks for a legal minimum of two years, though the finest Vinsanto is matured for many years, even decades, deepening its colour and complexity. By the rules of the appellation, it must be made predominantly from Assyrtiko, at least 51 per cent, with the balance from Athiri, Aidani and other local white varieties, set out alongside the guides to Assyrtiko and the wineries. The taste is unforgettable.
What does it taste like and where to try it?
Vinsanto tastes intensely sweet yet balanced by the acidity of Assyrtiko, with rich notes of dried figs, raisins, honey, caramel, citrus peel and nuts. Try it at wineries such as Santo Wines and Venetsanos and in restaurants across the island, served chilled.
Vinsanto offers one of the island’s great taste experiences. It is deeply sweet and luscious, but the natural acidity of Assyrtiko keeps it from cloying, giving flavours of dried figs, raisins, honey, caramel, candied citrus peel and toasted nuts, with a long, warming finish. Best served well chilled, it pairs beautifully with desserts, cheese or simply sipped on its own after dinner. You can taste it at the island’s wineries, including the view-blessed Santo Wines and Venetsanos and the smaller estates, where it usually features in a tasting flight, and it appears on restaurant wine lists across Santorini. A bottle also makes a fine, characterful souvenir, set out alongside the guides to Santorini food and shopping. The questions below cover the points travellers ask most.
How do you serve and pair Vinsanto?
Serve Vinsanto well chilled at around 10 to 12 degrees in a small dessert-wine glass. It pairs with dried fruit, nuts, aged cheese and rich desserts, and stands on its own after dinner. A small pour suits its concentrated sweetness.
Vinsanto shines as a wine to close a meal. Chill it well so the sweetness stays fresh and the acidity cuts through, and pour it into a small glass, since a modest measure of such a concentrated wine goes a long way. Its flavours of figs, honey and caramel echo classic Greek desserts, so it sits beautifully with baklava, walnut cake, dried fruit and nuts. The wine also plays off salty, aged cheeses in the way a fine port does, a contrast that flatters both. On its own after dinner, a glass makes a leisurely digestif. The pairing fits naturally into the island table described in the guide to Santorini food.
Does Vinsanto age well?
Vinsanto ages remarkably well, and the finest bottles mature for decades, deepening in colour and flavour. That longevity makes older vintages sought after and a fine keepsake. A sealed bottle keeps for years in a cool, dark spot.
Few sweet wines age with the grace of Vinsanto. The concentrated sugars and the firm acidity of Assyrtiko act as natural preservatives, letting the wine evolve slowly in oak and then in bottle over many years. With age the colour shifts from bright amber toward deep mahogany, and the taste gains layers of coffee, dried fig, toffee and spice. Long-aged bottlings from the island estates command high prices and rank among the great sweet wines of the world, so a bottle doubles as a lasting souvenir. Store it upright in a cool, dark place, and an unopened bottle rewards patience, alongside the estates covered in the guide to Santorini wineries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vinsanto wine?
Vinsanto is an amber, sweet dessert wine made only on Santorini, mainly from sun-dried Assyrtiko grapes matured in oak for at least two years. Rich and complex with notes of figs, honey and caramel, it is among the oldest continuously made wines in the Mediterranean.
Is Vinsanto sweet?
Vinsanto is a naturally sweet wine, but the high acidity of Assyrtiko keeps it balanced rather than cloying. It carries flavours of figs, raisins, honey and caramel with a long finish, so it drinks as a rich dessert wine.
How is Santorini Vinsanto made?
Vinsanto is made from late-harvested grapes sun-dried for around 12 to 14 days to concentrate the sugars, then crushed, fermented and aged for a minimum of 24 months, often far longer, in oak barrels. It must be at least 51 per cent Assyrtiko, with Athiri and Aidani making up the rest.
Where can you try Vinsanto in Santorini?
You can try Vinsanto at the island’s wineries, including Santo Wines and Venetsanos with their caldera views and the smaller estates, where it features in tasting flights, and on restaurant wine lists across Santorini. Served chilled, it pairs with dessert or is sipped on its own.