Wine, Fava, Tomataki
It was founded in 1947. Today it is one of the most dynamic Cooperatives in Greece with 1,200 members. Santo is committed to preserving the local tradition and history, protecting traditional crops, producing high quality wines and traditional local products of Protected Designation of Origin Santorini (PDO) and enhancing the sustainable agricultural development of the island.
Promoting all the local products of the island according to the needs of the modern consumer with emphasis on specialty, uniqueness and reliability is the main mission of the Union. PDO Santorini wines, Santorini Tomato PDO, Santorini Fava PDO, capers, caper leaves and traditional sweets, such as grapes and tomato, are the products available by Santo – excellent products, ambassadors of Santorini, with a distinct position in the worldwide market.
Fair Trade: The Association of Thera Products Cooperatives has as a main purpose to also protect the interests of the farmers of the island. Its business activity, representing all the farmers of the island, is based on transparency and respect, contributes in many ways to the economic development of the local community and ensures sustainable agricultural development in Santorini, offering better trade conditions and ensuring the rights of producers. and workers.
Research and Development Department: A department that invests in the continuous improvement of cultivation and winemaking techniques, while maintaining a nursery of indigenous varieties, the study and experimental cultivation of which ensures the preservation of the biodiversity of the Thera vineyard.
Organic Vineyard: The Primary Sector Department maintains a Standard Organic Vineyard from which the single-variety Organic Santo’s wines are produced.
Santo’s facilities include the SANTOWINES winery, now the only processing plant on the island for the Santorini Tomato “SANTO” and the SantoWines Wine Tourism Center, the winery’s visitable area, which with its stunning views of the Caldera and excellent hospitality, has established itself among the most important wine tourism destinations in the country with 600,000 visitors each year. During the production process, the HACCP Health, Safety and Quality Management Systems are applied and ISO 9001-2000 operates on the island.
In 1952, the tomato processing plant “SANTO” of the Union of Thera Products Cooperatives was built in Monolithos, which is the only one that now operates on the island. This is an architecturally magnificent industrial building of the time, for which the Cooperative, utilizing funding from the European Union in 2015, implemented a subsidized investment program for the renovation of the building and the modernization of the machinery, with the aim of SANTO continuing to produce high quality products from Tomato Santorini PDO but also to create new innovative products that highlight the uniqueness of the local raw material for consumers around the world looking for authentic flavors.
In a separate, specially designed area of the facilities, the processing and standardization of Santorini PDO fava beans, capers, caper leaves and other Santo products takes place.
Pulp from Tomato Santorini PDO is the traditional dish of the island, with a bright red color, velvety texture and incomparable taste! Only the Santorini PDO Tomato due to its special composition, gives pulp with such exceptional taste characteristics and nutrients as it is richer in lycopene and antioxidants compared to any other tomato paste.
Fava Santorini was in the past the main source of protein for the inhabitants of the island. It is a special indigenous variety of lathouri and specifically Lathyrus clymenum L, which is cultivated exclusively in Santorini. The quality of the fava beans but also the way of cultivation and processing has not changed at all throughout this long journey since even today most of the time the sowing is done with live plows, while the image of grinding the seed with old hand mills is not uncommon. It is a product of Protected Designation of Origin since 2010. It is recognized by its pale yellow color and its full taste. It has a particularly high nutritional value as it is rich in protein and carbohydrates. The traditional method of processing, which includes maturation in cave canvases and drying in the sun, gives it a sparkling, velvety texture and a sweet, earthy taste.
The winery has a capacity of 4,000 tons and is constantly updated by investing in new equipment, so that it always has state-of-the-art technology. In the wineries of the winery we keep the largest collection of wines, white, red and Vinsanto which are aged in oak barrels.
Santorini Assyrtiko 2019
Type: White Dry Wine
Designation of Origin: Protected Designation of Origin Santorini
Varieties: 100% Assyrtiko
Winemaking: Classic white winemaking
Features: Lemon color. The aromas of citrus dominate the nose, followed by subtle floral aromas along with the characteristic mineral notes of Assyrtiko. Dry in the mouth, with crunchy acidity and intensely fruity, mineral taste. The finish unfolds notes of citrus and stone fruits along with the salty character of the sea breeze.
Combinations with food: Fish and seafood
The volcanic soil of the crop
As the island was born through successive volcanic eruptions, the uniqueness of Santorini’s agricultural production is based on its soil. A soil that has a special texture and composition. Porous, poor in nutrients, consists of lava, volcanic ash and pumice.
The soil composition and the climate constitute a natural shield against disease. Santorini vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in the world with a history of 3,500 years and is a world heritage site. It is one of the few autochthonous vineyards in Europe, as it has never been infected with phylloxera.
ΗWaterless cultivation every season
The plants are not irrigated artificially while rainfall is rare. The only way to irrigate them is the humidity of the atmosphere and the sea fog, which the volcanic soil absorbs and slowly moisturizes the plants. This is the main reason why the acreage yield is very low, but the products produced, grapes, fava beans and tomato have excellent taste characteristics and are unique in the world.
The manual work for each product
All work in the fields and vineyards is done manually. In areas where the slope is high, farmers have shaped the soil into levels, the so-called “terraces” to facilitate the cultivation and absorption of rainwater. Viticulturists have invented a special way of pruning, which they call “bun”. The vines remain low to the ground, woven in the shape of a basket and so the grapes ripen in the “embrace” that is created, protected from strong winds and strong sun.
Combinations for our wines!
Enjoy the wine “Santorini” from the Assyrtiko variety with fish and seafood.
Enjoy the wine “Nemea” from the variety Agiorgitiko with red meat, cold cuts and pasta with red sauces.
