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80 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 Boutari Ambassador Christina Boutari's great-grandfather founded the winery in 1879, and it's since expanded throughout Greece to the islands of Santorini. The center of the island collapsed after the last major eruption in 1620 B.C., forming the half-moon of volcanic peaks seen today. Artifacts preserved by the ash prove that winemaking has occurred here for at least 3,700 years. Santorini's warm and often extreme Mediterranean climate combined with its young, nutrient-deficient volcanic soils make farming nearly impossible for most crops. "You look at the soil and you think nothing could grow here, and for 200 years nothing did," Boutari said. "In fact, all that really grows here are vines, fava beans, tomatoes, and capers. Yet, the vines have thrived." Volcanic soils are typically very well-drained, but in Santorini, sheets of volcanic ash fused together to create a sponge-like surface that retains the precious drops of precipitation. This surface serves to aid the vines during the arid growing season. The island's 1,000 hectares of grapes are cultivated using a unique, basket-like training system called gyristi, which causes the vines to form a canopy around the clusters inside. The canopies then protect the fruit from the island's high winds and harsh summers ("If you're looking for traditionally-trained grape vines, they're not there," said James, who visited Santorini last summer). Because of its soil composition, Santorini was never affected by phylloxera and the root systems are 400–500 years old. The "basket" is removed roughly every 70 years, leaving one dormant bud which blossoms into a new vine on the old root system."Santorini was almost like a laboratory for us," as - serted James. "We got to see these young vines with old root systems that had incredible depth of minerality." Boutari 2016 Assyrtiko, PDO Santorini, Greece The indigenous white grape variety Assyrtiko domi- nates the region's plantings, occupying roughly 70 percent of the vineyards. "The wine has high acidity and a metallic, mineral character," Boutari said. "It even has a saltiness on the finish." { sommcon } REGION/COUNTRY: Santorini, GREECE Christina Boutari, Winery Ambassador for Boutari, represents Greek wines at the seminar.