The vine growers of Santorini have to deal with challenging climate and geographic conditions such as the arid volcanic soil, the hot sun, the morning mists drifting up from the caldera and above all the powerful winds that sweep across the Aegean.
They invented a very unique way of vine pruning. They weave their vines into a basket-like structure like nests, the kouloura or “wreath” that lies close to the ground. In this way, the grapes are growing well-protected inside the basket under the plant’s leaves. The origins of this manner of training vines are lost down in the passage of time.
