If you've brought Santorini wine home from a trip (see our wine label guide), a few serving details make a real difference to how close it tastes to the bottle you remember from the island.
Temperature
Assyrtiko's high acidity and mineral character (see our Assyrtiko guide) show best served cold — around 8-10°C, colder than many white wines are typically served, closer to a crisp Sauvignon Blanc than a fuller-bodied Chardonnay. Serving it too warm mutes the acidity and lets any alcohol heat dominate. Nykteri, being oak-aged and fuller-bodied, is better a few degrees warmer, closer to 12°C.
Glassware
A standard white wine glass works fine; a slightly larger bowl helps if you want to appreciate Nykteri's more complex, oak-influenced aromatics. For Vinsanto (see our Vinsanto guide), a smaller dessert wine glass is traditional and appropriate given how concentrated and sweet it is — you're meant to sip slowly in small amounts, not drink a full glass.
Storage
Dry Assyrtiko is generally meant to be drunk relatively young — within a few years of the vintage — to preserve its bright acidity and freshness, though old-vine and premium bottlings can age longer. Vinsanto, like most sweet dessert wines, ages well and can be kept considerably longer. Store both away from light and temperature swings, on their side if cork-sealed.
Opening a bottle you've carried home
If you're travelling with wine, let it rest for a day or two after arrival before opening — travel, particularly by air, can temporarily disturb a wine's sediment and aromatics. This matters more for older or unfiltered natural wines (see our organic and natural producers guide) than for young, filtered standard bottlings.
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