MIKRA THIRA

Mikra Thira is the only wine producer based on the small Aegean island of Thirassia, just west of Santorini. (“Thira” is the historical name for Santorini, while mikra means “small”.) Winemaker Ioanna Vamvakouri began the project with no winery and just two hectares (five acres) of old vines on Thirassia, initially supplementing production with fruit sourced from Santorini. Since 2017, in partnership with Evangelos Gerovassiliou and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis, the estate has planted eight hectares of ungrafted vines, with a further two hectares planned for 2026.

Set within a secluded and largely untouched landscape, Mikra Thira operates under some of the most extreme viticultural conditions in the world. The vineyards are defined by volcanic soils, fierce winds, minimal rainfall, and ungrafted vines that have naturally adapted to the harsh environment over centuries.

The organically farmed vineyards span both Thirassia and Santorini, with Assyrtiko taking centre stage alongside indigenous varieties including Aidani, Athiri, Mavrotragano, and Mandilaria. The vines are trained using the traditional kouloura basket-pruning method — a practice unique to Santorini that protects the grapes from the island’s powerful winds and intense sun.

Although Thirassia is a distinct island, it falls within the Santorini PDO zone. Mikra Thira owns 15 hectares of vineyards in total: eight hectares on Thirassia and seven on Santorini. Grapes grown on Santorini are transported by boat to Thirassia, where all wines are vinified and aged in the winery’s modern, state-of-the-art facility.

As on Santorini, all vines on Thirassia are 100% ungrafted, with some more than 100 years old. This remarkable viticultural heritage contributes to the wines’ depth, purity, and ageing potential.

Terrasea is sourced exclusively from vineyards on Thirassia. The 80- to 100-year-old vines are rooted in volcanic ash and pumice soils rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, yet naturally low in nitrogen. According to Ioanna Vamvakouri, Assyrtiko from Thirassia expresses a character distinct from that of Santorini: less overtly aromatic, yet deeper, broader, and more concentrated.

Partly aged in neutral French oak, Terrasea demonstrates the extraordinary heights Assyrtiko can achieve. Saline, chalky, ripe, and beautifully textured, it is a profoundly gastronomic wine, balancing concentration with freshness and finishing with a striking mineral edge lifted by vibrant acidity.