Artemis Karamolegos

Grandpa Artemis laid the foundations of the winery's winemaking tradition back in 1952. In 2004, his grandson, Artemis Karamolegos, led the winery into the world of dynamic and modern winemaking, investing in a production facility and private vineyards, and for the first time, successfully produced a wine with a protected designation of origin. After more than 15 years, the wines of "Artemis Karamolegos" continue to win numerous awards at local and international competitions. In parallel, export activities continue to expand each year. Currently, the winery is the third largest on Santorini in terms of production volume.

Vineyards

"Kouloura" is the name for the basket-like pruning and "coiling" of grapevines. This method is due to the harsh climatic conditions that have always existed on the island of Santorini, the dry and inhospitable volcanic soil, and most importantly, the very strong wind. Growing grapes in Santorini is as difficult as on the vertical slopes of the Mosel River in Germany, yet both places produce wonderful wines! A properly aged Assyrtiko from Santorini is very reminiscent of an aged German Riesling in its crystalline purity and sharp acidity. Thanks to the synergy in the region, the Santorini vineyard, which is also one of the oldest vineyards in Europe, avoided the devastating phylloxera. It is truly blessed by nature – despite the inhospitable conditions of volcanic soils and strong winds, almost miraculously, the soil retains water from the limited rainfall underground. And during the hot summer, the precious water reappears and cools the vineyards with droplets from the mist clouds that often envelop the island like a cotton veil. In August, strong winds remove moisture from the grapes, thereby preventing rot and diseases in the vineyards.

Terroir

The terroirs of Santorini Island, where the microclimate in different areas has specific characteristics, provide exceptional "interpretations" of the Assyrtiko variety and other local grape varieties, thus creating high-quality wines with global recognition. The transition from traditional winemaking methods to processes that respect nature and its gifts makes the wines from Santorini Island particularly interesting and exciting. Gradually, the Santorini appellation of origin and especially Assyrtiko has become the sole Greek wine region, and the unique Greek wines – a benchmark for Greece.

Climate

The warm and dry climate of Santorini island is a prerequisite for small yields of high-quality grapes, which have naturally high sugar and acid content. Another significant advantage of the dry and sandy soils is that they are almost impervious to phylloxera, as it cannot live in such soil types. Santorini is part of a semi-circular archipelago of volcanic islands that have been constantly subjected to volcanic eruptions since ancient times. This has led to the formation of the topography of the viticultural areas, with vineyards located on slopes formed by the volcanic eruptions. They are also the reason for the appearance of soils with a unique texture and layers of volcanic ash, pumice, sand, and basalt. The soil is characterized by high acidity and very low organic matter content, while important minerals are present at high levels.

Artemis Karamolegos

Vineyards

Terroir

Climate