So, this is a bottle my wife brought back from a wine tour in Santorini. We only just now opened it and let me tell you, this is the most delicious port I've ever had and it ain't close….. assuming it's a port at all.
Unfortunately this particular one looks to be very very expensive to bring to the states, so I'm wondering if there's other very similar wines that are much easier to find (preferably available at a total wine on the west coast)
by gafonid
9 Comments
Oh. Tasting notes are heavy on the jam and blackcurrant, like drinking the most delicious strawberry jam you’ve ever had, but not syrupy
Never had a Greek Vin Santo, but this sounds very different from a Tuscan one and looks like it’s made from red grapes. Not cheap either but you might want to try a Recioto from Valpolicella.
Umh… how about Port? It’s the most accessible fortified wine in the US.
Also clean your table.
While there are hundreds of dessert wine styles and denominations, only the fortified wine from Porto, Portugal, is port. Port is a fortified red wine whereas Vin Santo is made from dried white grapes. Your vin Santo is fairly old (bottled in 2010 after 12 years in the cask (at least that what I think it means) and retails for about 50$, though you’d have to search for a retailer online. Not sure you’ll find anything comparable at a cheaper price (not much else using sun-dried Greek varietals out there), but I recommend you explore sweet wines a little. Perhaps a Pedro Ximenez sherry? Or a 20 year old white port (e.g. Kopke). Or a bual Madeira. Or try a late-bottled vintage port.
Edit: vintage 2010 and bottled around 2022.
Vinsanto is a like a straw wine where the grapes are left to dry in the sun and not fortified like port or sherry. Vinsantos differ slightly from a straw wine by leaving the grapes on the vine to dry rather than drying on a straw mat, but the flavor is similar. Vinsantos and straw wines in general tend to be more expensive since drying the grape means more grapes are necessary to make a bottle and are allowed to age longer before bottling.
The Italians have a near identical version that is labeled as Vin Santo and can be easier to find than its Greek cousin. I have also been able to find Santo Winery’s Vinsanto in stock, but did not find it as enjoyable as some of the other wineries on Santorini. Mavrodauphne is another Greek dessert wine with a similar flavor profile.
Sauternes, Pedro Ximenez, and Tokaji Aszu are essential dessert wines to try. I was not super impressed by the vin santo I tried in Tuscany
Clean your table
Vinsanto is awesome, but it isn’t port. You may enjoy Dolce, which is a sauternes-style sweet wine from the Far Niente family.
The best Vinsanto is the one from Argyros Estate. Maybe you can find it in States.