Cultivation of traditional vineyards

Thira (Santorini), is most likely themost important vineyard of our country. The way it is pruned and the "wrapping" of the vineyard which likes like a basket named "kouloura" (loop) due to the difficult weather condition, which always existed on the island mainly very strong winds.the volcanic ground is an important factor for the production of high quality wines.

The Monastery of Prophet Elias, acquiring almost immediately after its founding (1711) numerous vineyards has always produced a large quantity of high quality wine. And this becomes indisputable, from the numerous wine storage and aging areas ("cannaves" in the local dialect) that the monks created from time to time, which are preserved until today, but also from historical evidence of the export of monastic wine from the ship of the Monastery, "Agios Georgios", to distant but cosmopolitan areas (eg Constantinople, Odessa).

Today, the new brotherhood, taking over the usual solitary service of viticulture and winemaking, oversees the monastic vineyards, takes care of the organic cultivation of the traditional old monastic vineyards but also for the planting of young ones in monastic properties. Today, the total area of the monastic vineyards is close to 200 acres, and from that the 90% which is cultivated is the basic Theraic variety, the Assyrtiko.

It is known that some of the holy ascetics of Mount Athos (such as Saint Joseph the Hesychast ), although living in extreme poverty, took care to get a Nama from Santorini for Divine Liturgy, in order to offer God the best. And the most famous Nama has always been produced in Santorini.

For this reason, the Monastery, considering its duty to continue this specific winemaking tradition, takes special care of the production of the Nama, so that it is natural, pure and of good quality, obeying the teaching of the Church Fathers, who emphasize that what we offer to God must be the best we can. This is exactly the biblical meaning of the word "Aparchi": offering God the first and best part of production.

Apart from "Nama", the dry white wine "Leneta", is produced from grapes (variety of Assyrtiko) of a specific monastery vineyard with the same name, produced and bottled every year, and is located in the village of Pyrgos in Thira.