Assyrtiko or Asyrtiko is a Greek white grape native to the island of Santorini. Assyrtiko is indeed widely grown on its arid volcanic ash-rich soil, but is also found on other Aegean islands, such as Paros. It is also found in other scattered regions of Greece such as Chalkidiki and the Nemea area. It is also surprisingly cultivated in South Australia and California, where it adapts magnificently to the high and demanding local temperatures. The original cuttings of this variety were imported to the United States in 1948 by Harold Olmo, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, where they were kept until the Abbey of New Clairvaux took an interest in them in the early 2000s. The clusters of Assyrtiko are large, with a transparent golden-yellow skin and juicy flesh. The acidity and citrus notes are the two most classic traits of this grape, which yields bubbly, dynamic wines. On Santorini, there are many old plantations of Assyrtiko vines, many of which are ungrafted and have proven to be super resistant to phylloxera and downy mildew over the decades. In the case of Downy mildew, it is speculated that the actual source of this resistance may derive from the volcanic ash in which the vines grow, and not from the vine itself; the writer disagrees, however, as he boasts Assyrtiko plants in his mother-in-law's garden in the Peloponnese, and they are all intact even in 2023! The great minerality of this grape variety makes it perfect for blends, especially in the company of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Malagousia, with which it creates wines of crazy balance.
Throughout Greece, the grape is vinified to produce dry as well as sweet wines, including muscat wines similar to Vinsanto and sweet syrupy dessert wines. It is also used to make the famous Retsina, often blended together with the less acidic but more full-bodied Savatiano grape.