On the occasion of Wine Tourism Day, we take a brief inventory of this year: slight increase in production, better grapes, a breather in quantity, Santorini at a turning point. What Stelios Boutaris and Yiannis Fines tell Tornosnews
This year’s harvest in Greece was accompanied by optimism for quality and a slight breather in quantity. According to the most recent data, wine production is estimated to have increased slightly compared to last year (approximately +6%), while weather conditions – without prolonged heat waves and with targeted rains early in the summer – generally helped ripening.
In Northern Greece, especially in Macedonia and Epirus, the early varieties and Xinomavro showed high standards: good phenolic maturity, lively acidity and “clean” grapes, with the main Xinomavro harvest taking place from mid-September onwards.
As Stelios Boutaris, CEO of the Kir-Yiannis winery, told Tornosnews, “the year was very good, with a balance of maturity-acidity and good quantity compared to the difficult 2024”.
Santorini remains the “hot” issue of the year: for the third consecutive year, production declined, with historically high grape prices. Regarding Santorini, Mr. Boutaris —Kir-Yianni’s family recently acquired 100% of the emblematic Sigalas Estate— notes: “There we have big issues: water scarcity, climate change. There is low participation in cultivation care, many farmers do not work their fields.”
However, the first indications from wineries speak of excellent quality. The island is at a critical crossroads (water scarcity, pressure from tourism, abandonment of vineyards), which requires coordinated solutions, while winemakers see “light at the end of the tunnel” in terms of the style and intensity of the wines.
In Thessaly, production has recovered compared to last year’s disaster, but remains below the potential of the zone due to frost in the spring. Yannis Fines, sales director of La Tour Melas, speaking to Tornosnews spoke of a “very good” vintage, with lively, “juicy” grapes. He explained that the estate chooses to release its wines later – for a clearer aromatic expression – and underlined the need to strengthen the international recognition of “Greek wine” as a separate category, not as “others”. “The imposition of a 15% US tariff on European wines from August 1, 2025 makes it difficult to penetrate key markets (e.g. the USA)”, reinforcing the message of qualitative differentiation and a strong Greek brand.
In conclusion, 2025 is a good year for Greek wine, with clean acidity, dynamic whites and promising structure in reds. At the same time, zones like Santorini need immediate strategic solutions to preserve quantity without losing the identity that makes their wines unique.
