The origin of this dessert wine lies in ancient Greece. The name means "holy wine", it is derived from the "Settimana Santa" (Holy Week), because it is usually pressed between the end of November and Easter. It is also often used as a wine for the mass. In Italy it is also called Vino Santo outside of Tuscany. The OPAP sweet wine produced on the Aegean island Santorini is called Vinsanto (without blank). In Italy, it is often produced only for personal consumption and is often used at family celebrations such as baptisms and weddings. Mostly they are sweet varieties (dolce), but semi-sweet (amabile) and dry (secco) varieties with different alcohol content and residual sugar are also produced. White and red varieties of Malvasia and Trebbiano, as well as Grechetto and Sangiovese, are preferred for the production.