{"product_id":"lyrarakis-assyrtiko-voila-2025","title":"Lyrarakis Assyrtiko Vóila 2025","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost people encounter Assyrtiko on Santorini, where it grows in volcanic pumice on the famous basket-trained vines of the caldera. Crete is a different story. The Vóila vineyard sits at 580 to 700 meters above sea level near Sitia in eastern Crete, on limestone soils that are dry-farmed and organically managed. The altitude is the key: most Cretan vineyards are coastal and warm, but Vóila's elevation creates a longer, cooler growing season that preserves natural acidity and gives the wine a more continental structure. The vines were propagated from Santorini material in the early 1990s and have since adapted to limestone and altitude with results that are distinctly their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Assyrtiko, dry-farmed on limestone at elevation. Organic viticulture throughout. The wine shows the variety's structural signature: bright citrus, white flowers, a chalky saline mineral thread, and the high natural acidity that makes Assyrtiko one of the most age-worthy white grapes in the Mediterranean. Cretan Assyrtiko from limestone and altitude is less volcanic and more linear than the Santorini version, with a particular mineral freshness that suits the site perfectly. The 2025 vintage reflects the estate's clean, precise winemaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe People\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyrarakis Wines was established in 1966 by brothers Manolis and Sotiris Lyrarakis, and it has been at the forefront of the modern Cretan wine revival ever since. The estate is known above all for its work rescuing nearly extinct indigenous Cretan varieties, including Plytó, Dafni, and Vidiano, all brought back from the edge of extinction under the Lyrarakis name. The Vóila Assyrtiko sits alongside that mission: serious, site-expressive winemaking that treats Crete as a world-class wine region, not an afterthought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrilled octopus with lemon and olive oil, fried calamari, shrimp saganaki, grilled sea bream with herbs, or Greek salad with quality feta. The high acidity and saline minerality make this one of the best whites in the shop for seafood, particularly preparations where acid and salt are already doing the work.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"S\u0026M","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49938476335327,"sku":null,"price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6040264.jpg?v=1780628615","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/lyrarakis-assyrtiko-voila-2025","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}