Great white from sun drenched Santorini
Posted by Joelle Thomson on
It may not be the easiest grape variety in the world to pronounce but anything that Assyrtiko (pronounced As-er-teek-o) lacks in ease of pronunciation, it more than makes up for with its powerful punch of freshness, weight and complexity.
if you love Chablis, great weighty Chardonnays or full bodied white wines, then Assyrtiko is the next big white grape for you. And there are more reasons to enjoy it now than ever before, not least because it is gaining a little ground in the vineyards of our nearest winemaking neighbours, Australia.
The most famous Australian Assyrtiko comes from Jim Barry Wines, whose family member, Peter Barry, fell for the delicious charms of this fresh white grape when he was visiting the sun drenched island of Santorini in Greece in 2006. He returned home, tried to find cuttings of Assyrtiko vines, couldn't find any and had to return to Santorini to get some. It's a tough job but someone has to do it, so Barry found cuttings and has since planted them in 2012 on the Lodge Hill Vineyard in the Clare Valley.
Two tasty Assyrtikos
Here are two excellent wines made from Assyrtiko, one from the Barry family's vineyard in the Clare Valley; the other from the traditional homeland of this great white grape, the beautiful island of Santorini.
2021 Jim Barry Assyrtiko RRP $36.99
The Assyrtiko grape originally comes from the volcanic island of Santorini where hot days and cool nights allow it to retain freshness derived from the grape's naturally high acidity. The result is an outstandingly succulent, refreshing dry white. This wine will take you by surprise, in the best possible way.