Akra Chryssos

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Akra Chryssos 2023 Nykteri, Santorini PDO

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Born and raised among the vineyards of Santorini, Spyros Chryssos represents the fourth generation of his family to work the island’s vines. The family’s story began with his great-grandfather, Dimitris Chryssos, who established the first family vineyard plots in Pyrgos Kallistis. His son Vangelis continued the tradition, learning the demanding art of training Santorini’s vines into the traditional kouloura and expanding the family holdings into Akrotiri and Megalochori during the 1980s. Spyros’ father, Christoforos, later took over the vineyards and committed fully to organic farming, continuing to cultivate the family’s vines without synthetic pesticides or chemical inputs.

Today, Spyros is taking the next step in that history with Akra Chryssos, the first time the family has vinified its own grapes. The project draws on heirloom vineyards ranging from 100 to more than 200 years old, planted in Santorini’s distinctive volcanic pumice and organic soils. Working with Cretan winemaker Iliana Malíhin, Spyros allows the character of these old vines and extreme island conditions to take the lead.

The wines are fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and aged on fine lees for 6–8 months before being bottled unfiltered. The focus is on Santorini’s indigenous varieties, led by Assyrtiko and complemented by Aidani and Athiri. With ancient vines, traditional farming, and production on a very small scale, Akra Chryssos is a new chapter in a family winemaking story that began generations ago.