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By Hamish Graham
Published: 05 September, 2025
The latest harvest report from Santorini’s Domain Sigalas details another very tough year on the Greek island. The 2025 take represents the third consecutive year of reduced production with only 450 tonnes produced – the lowest ever yield. The past decade’s average stood at between 2,500 and 3,000 tonnes per year.
A confluence of factors have contributed to the very small harvest seen for the historic wine growing appellation. The report details a number, including the loss of traditional techniques used to revive the health of the vineyard such as layering, ploughing and ‘kathiesies’, with all being exacerbated by climate change.
Also touted as causes are the ageing population of local growers, as well as the difficulty in finding labour, the latter in strong part thanks to the cost of living on the popular tourist destination. The result of these difficulties has been unattended old vines, a fall in the number of plants per hectare, and as this year has shown, flagging yields.
Winemaker at Sigalas, Stellios Boutaris, is all too aware of the challenges faced but believes there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.
He elaborates: “We all agree that keeping Santorini as a museum piece lacks both meaning and perspective. At Domaine Sigalas we have chosen the path of systematic investment, intensified during the last five years.
“We fully acknowledge that the challenges are complex and structural, therefore it will take time for the desired adjustment. Still, we keep our eyes on long-term goals because we strongly believe in the uniqueness of this extraordinary place and, as they say, we always put our money where our mouth is.
“We have been working to create the conditions for a sustainable Santorini. With vision, dedication and a solid plan, we have started turning the page.”
Vineyard manager Stratos Guillame Xyrafis (pictured, left), adds: “The current situation on the vineyards of the island is not a result of the last couple of years. Climate change has violently amplified all structural weaknesses of the last decades. Above all, the accumulated impact of poor cultivation.
“The drought and accumulated effects of climate change over the last three years have created asphyxiating conditions for the old and poorly attended vines. Struggling, abandoned vines produce less each year. The 2025 yields in Santorini, the lowest to-date as in some cases hardly reach 500 kilos of grapes per hectare, does not come as a surprise.”
Zooming in on Domain Sigalas’ 2025 harvest, yields were down 15% compared to the year prior, with harvest commencing early, though not as soon as 2024’s.
Vineyard revival continues apace at the estate, however, with 17ha of new plantings since 2020. Traditional pruning methods are the basis of the renewal, utilising the ‘kouloura’ and ‘kladedtiko’ methods. Cultivating best practice in terms of soil health, while adapting organic and regenerative techniques are key pillars of the estate’s revival attempts too.
In the context of scarce labour, developing mechanical cultivation techniques is also a priority.
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