Wine-tasting at Sigalas Winery

Santorini is famous for its sunset and its unique caldera, but the island now has a wine-growing industry that should not be overlooked. When dining out in Santorini, we noticed that all the wines offered are Greek wines and many of these are produced on the island.

A Winery Visit

We saw a brochure in our room for Domaine Sigalas and as it was within walking distance from our accommodation in Oia, we paid a visit to this Santorini winery. Once we got off the main road and walked downhill towards the vineyards in the distance, the scenery was very peaceful and there was hardly anyone in the area.

As we walked past the stretches of vineyards there were no signposts to give a clue as to whether we were nearing our destination.  Just before we arrived at what we guessed to be Sigalas, we met Sandra and Ron (from Canada) who were also looking for the winery.

Domaine Sigalas Winery

Domaine Sigalas was founded in 1991 and have have some 2,200 hectares of vineyards, growing different grape varieties. On arrival at the winery, we were given a presentation of the nine wines that Sigalas produce. We were asked to select the wines that we wished to taste and these are brought out to the garden where we sat under the pergola and tasted the wines while enjoying views of the vineyards. The winery charges a small fee for the tasting, depending on the wines chosen. We mostly tried the whites, the Rose and the Sigalas Vinsanto.

The wines that we tried were all very young and didn’t have any complex bouquet – they were more like quaffing wines. We thought that they should have been served a little more chilled as in the hot Santorini weather, everything heats up quickly. My favourite at Sigalas is the Vinsanto, a dessert wine that is produced from sun-dried grapes.

Other Santorini Wineries

Santorini vineyard

Santos is the largest wine producer in Santorini and according to Sandra, this is where the Santorini wine tours stop at. Other Santorini wineries include:

• Canava Roussos – a family winery that has existed since 1836
• Estate Argyros – whose Argyros Vinsanto 1987 is reputed to be the best Vinsanto produced in Santorini
• Gaia Winemakers – previously a tomato factory, this winery is on the eastern side of Santorini, near the airport
• Gavalas Vineyard – a family winery that has been dealing with wine for more than 300 years
• Hatzidakis Winery – one of the most successful new winemakers in Santorini
• Koutsogiannopoulos Winery – a winery with an interesting history. A special feature of this winery is its museum which presents the history of the Santorini wines and wine-growers from 1660 until today.

To get to all these vineyards you do need to have a rental car.  But if you drive, be careful about drinking.  Alterntively, you can join a Santorini winery tour which can be booked with any of the sightseeing agencies on the island.

Tomato Fritters - Travelsignposts

In addition to its fava beans, the Santorini cherry tomato is another of the island’s local produce that has been submitted to the EU for PDO certification. The Santorini cherry tomatoes take a special place on the island’s food products and each year there is an international conference dedicated to the Santorini tomato.

About the Santorini Cherry Tomato

Santorini’s cherry tomatoes are noted for their sugar content and flavour. This it seems is due to Santorini’s special volcanic soil.  Although the tomato is juicy, it is more thick skinned than the regular cherry tomatoes and for this reason they are often made into tomato paste or used in cooking.

Before the earthquake of 1956, there were 13 factories on Santorini producing their special tomato paste. However, after the earthquake, the tomato yields dropped and it became non-profitable to cultivate these cherry tomatoes. In the last few years however, there have been efforts to re-cultivate the Santorini tomato and the product is now gaining more recognition. I bought some of these cherry tomatoes to use in our cheese sandwich and there were very sweet.

Tomatokeftedes

One of the traditional dishes in Santorini is its Tomatokeftedes. The restaurant we dined at uses cherry tomatoes in their tomato fritters and the sweetness of the tomato comes through in the Tomatokeftedes. We had the tomato fritters with some refreshing salad and they were delicious.

Fava Beans - Santorini Traditional Cuisine

Fava beans is a dish that is offered as an appetizer in many Greek restaurants and is part of the traditional Greek cuisine. But in Santorini the fava beans are special.

The European Union have acknowledged that the Santorini fava beans are unique to this island and has granted it the PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin). Who would have thought that this small island, famous for its caldera and spectacular views, also has produce that are EU trademark protected.

The Santorini Fava

So how are Santorini’s fava beans different? It seems that the Santorini fava has a sweeter and richer flavour. Its texture is also interesting and these qualities are the result of Santorini’s unique soil.  When cooked, it seems that that the Santorini fava does not need blending.  The cooked fava simply melts into a soft and yellowish paste which has an aroma of dried nuts.

The Santorini fava comes from the “Lathyrus Clymenum” plant species and there are records that show that this plant has been growing on the island since 3,500 years ago.

Fava at the Roka

We enjoyed some delicious fava bean dishes in Athens and during our stay in Santorini, we made it a point to try its famous fava bean at the Roka Restaurant. The fava bean paste is served warm and garnished with diced raw onions and capers and dressed with some olive oil and a slice of lemon.

Yes, it is rich and creamy as described in articles on Santorini’s fava beans, but we thought that the dish needed just a touch of salt – incidentally, salt is one of the ingredients mentioned in the fava recipe. Santorini fava is delicious spread on fresh bread or served with meat or octopus.  While some may find this traditional Santorini dish a tad bland, it is nevertheless a nutritious food.

Dining at a Plaka taverna

Greek food is well known the world over and many visitors to Greece arrive already equipped with some knowledge of common dishes like mezes, souvlaki, moussaka, Greek salad, etc.  Some of the names may not be familiar, but we most probably have had some tyropitakia (small cheese pies), soutzoukakia (meatballs in red sauce) or britzoles arnisies (grilled lamb).

Seafood is plentiful here as Greece is surrounded by sea and fishing is part of the mainstream agriculture.  Fish like sea bream (Tsipoura), mackerels (kolioi), whitebait (marida or maridaki) and swordfish (xifias) are easily available, as are calamari and octopus (htapodi) – if you know how to ask for your preferred fish. I must say that the Greeks cook calamari very well – the batter is really light and not greasy.  Whitebait is a favourite with Greeks as it goes well with Retsina wine.

Greek cuisine is not complicated and very much based on fresh meat, vegetables, seasoning and cooked in olive oil. Tavernas are the traditional Greek dining establishments where food is prepared fresh each morning and served throughout the day.

If you tire of Greek food and want a choice of international cuisines, then you may need to go to a restaurant (estiatória) which incidentally is more expensive than tavernas.  Alternatively, there are popular ethnic restaurants like Chinese, Italian, Mexican as well as sushi bars.

Greek eating habits

Typical of Mediterranean cultures, the Greeks have their lunch quite late and dinner can be anything from 9pm onwards.  Meals are eaten at a leisurely pace so dinner can end quite late by some Western standards.  They generally don’t eat breakfast and it’s common to grab a mid-morning snack (kolatsio) like a cheese or spinach pie from a nearby bakery. Weekends might be different.  I recall walking through the Plaka one Sunday morning and the locals were already digging into their grilled meats at the market stalls.  Their ability to eat meaty food in the middle of the morning made an impression on me.

There’s no shortage of food places in Athens, especially around the Plaka area. The universal rule of thumb when selecting a taverna is to check out the diners – if the majority are Greeks, then you’re on the right path to good food.  Places that advertise Moussakas for 5 Euros in 15 languages are not likely to serve you quality, authentic food. To dine the way that Greeks do, you’ll start with mezes or mezedakia. These are small dishes with various delicacies. For mains, order whatever you’re craving or ask the waiter to suggest whatever’s good.

Dining under the Stars

In summer, it’s great to dine outdoors, under the stars.  Our favourite dinner places are around the fringe of the Acropolis.  The view of the Acropolis is breathtaking at night as the floodlights beaming from the Acropolis give a divine aura to the place.  Yes, the gods are with us!

A “service charge” is included on your bill in Greece and this represents the tip.  The amount is set and controlled by the government.  If you feel that the food or service is particularly good, then it is common to leave an additional small amount.  In the touristy areas waiters have come to expect additional tips.