Vin Santo

The origins of this Italian dessert wine lie in ancient Greece. The name means "holy wine" and is derived from the "Settimana Santa" (Holy Week), as it is usually pressed between the end of November and Easter. It is also used as a mass wine. In Italy, outside Tuscany, it is also known as Vino Santo. The OPAP sweet wine produced on the Aegean island of Santorini is called Vinsanto (without a blank). In Italy, it is often only produced for personal consumption and is used for family celebrations such as christenings and weddings.

Varieties

These are mostly sweet varieties (dolce), but semi-sweet (amabile) and dry (secco) wines of varying alcohol content and residual sugar are also produced. White and red Malvasia and Trebbiano varieties, as well as Grechetto and Sangiovese, are favoured for production. These are hung on shelves or laid flat on reed or straw mats to dry under the influence of air using the passito method. The raisined grapes are not pressed until the end of December at the earliest, with the mouldy grapes being removed beforehand.

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Vin Santo

Varieties

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