A recent trip to Santorini provided me and a friend with the opportunity to visit 3 wineries - Koutsoyiannopoulous Winery (Volcan Wines), Boutari, and Sigalas.
The wines offered for tasting at Koutsoyiannopoulous were as unimpressive as I recall them being when I visited in June, but the Wine Museum attached to the winery is definitely worth a visit and I wanted my friend to experience it. The wines were so unmemorable (one white, one red, one dessert) that I don't have any notes on them. The staff was the same as last time, too, and the rote pitch by the guy behind the counter was as boring as it was before. I felt like he really just didn't want to be there.
Moving on to Boutari...what a delight! I'll admit to a previous bias against Boutari simply because they are mass producers, something I try to steer clear of. However, I had tasted one or two examples of their Xinomavro from the supermarket, which I enjoyed, so I tried to go in with an open mind. The first pleasant surprise was the guy behind the counter, Stavros, who was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic in his presentation. He ended up with a rather large, unexpected crowd at the end of the day - four or five separate groups who wandered in for a tasting - and he handled it brilliantly. We tasted eight wines - 5 whites, 2 reds (from other areas in Greece), and a dessert wine. I have unfortunately misplaced my notes, but I recall that we enjoyed the Seladia immensely (a blend of Assyrtiko, Athiri and one other grape that I can't recall), the Xinomavro Reserve, and their Vinsanto, which imparted a wonderful nose and taste of fresh oranges alongside the more traditional dessert wine characteristics of raisins, tea and other dried fruits. I ended up buying a bottle of each of these three.
A few days later we visited Sigalas, which is near the town of Oia on the northern end of the island. The woman behind the counter here REALLY seemed like she didn't want to be there (to describe her as the female gender of the canine species is not too harsh), but fortunately she poured all eight wines and left us alone to taste a similar profile as that of Boutari. Their Sigalas Santorini was very reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc, which surprised me, but we liked it enough to buy a bottle for viewing the sunset that evening from our balcony. I also purchased a bottle of their Sigalas Barrel Santorini (also 100% Assyrtiko) which imparted aromas of peaches, pears, and flowers and which produced a very nice, rich mouth feel with a lingering after-taste. We ended up not being overly impressed by either of the reds (Mavrotragano & a Mandilaria/Agiorgitiko blend) nor by their Vinsanto, which came across as very one dimensional and with a weak palate, especially after tasting Boutari's. In between tastes my friend Lisa chased a very cute little kitten around the patio. The kitten wanted nothing to do with her.
My impression remains that Santorini makes some very nice white wines, many fit for ageing, but that they're still weak on the reds. And I've gained a new respect for Boutari, and would strongly recommend a visit to their facility if anyone is ever in Santorini (but early in the day, preferably between 10-12, per Stavros' recommendation and request:-)