Hatzidakis Nichteri

Before Santorini gained access to modern equipment, the island’s dry wines were richer, higher in alcohol, and more oxidative in character. The style known as Nychteri, meaning “from the night,” refers to the practice of harvesting and pressing the grapes on the same night they were picked. The free-run juice was placed into old oak barrels, where it was left to ferment and age for an extended period, often without topping up. The Nychteri of Hatzidakis Winery is a clear reference to this—not so distant—winemaking tradition of Santorini. Generous and alcoholic, with a gentle oxidative character, it displays a tightrope-like balance between acidity and power that very few terroirs in the world can offer.