Old-World Soul, New-Wave Energy—Dive into Island Wines

For millennia the Mediterranean and Aegean islands were way-stations for traders and conquerors, each wave planting vines in their wake. Today those same outposts are buzzing with fresh energy. From Santorini’s volcano to Sicily’s lava soils, wind-lashed Corsica, and sun-soaked Sardinia, a new generation is pairing ancient bush vines with precision farming and low-intervention cellars—yielding mineral-charged whites, perfumed reds, and inventive blends that rival Europe’s mainland classics while staying refreshingly affordable and true to place.

Inside: Assyrtiko’s meteoric rise, under-the-radar Greek whites, high-altitude Xinomavro, Etna’s fiery reds, and Sardinia & Corsica’s boundary-breaking blends. Stock up and taste how brightly these island stars shine.

—Keith Mabry, K&L Buyer

• Assyrtiko’s Ascent: New Heights for This Ancient Grape
• White Hot Greek White Wines
• Millennia-Old Grapes, Modern Techniques: Greek Reds are Better than Ever
• Sicily’s Rising Stars: World-Class Wines from the Island
• Beyond the Beaches: Discover Sardinia & Corsica’s Unexpected Blends

Once prized solely on the windswept slopes of Santorini, Assyrtiko is an ancient variety now enjoying a modern renaissance. Its reputation for searing minerality and age-worthy poise has propelled it far beyond its Aegean birthplace: leading estates on the Greek mainland have woven Assyrtiko into their flagship programs, while ambitious vintners from California to South Australia are planting it in their most promising sites. Wherever it grows, the grape mirrors its terroir with striking clarity—proving both remarkably adaptable and unmistakably Greek at heart.

I’ve assembled a wide-ranging lineup that captures Assyrtiko’s new horizons with each bottle testifying to the variety’s timeless pedigree and exciting future. Here are some of our current favorites! Read more from Keith about the challenges and success of this ancient grape in recent years here.

Assyrtiko may be Greece’s star export (we’ll save retsina for another conversation), but a fresh wave of white varieties is poised to steal the spotlight—and each delivers vibrant character and exceptional value!

• Savatiano & Roditis – once humble café staples, now re-imagined as crisp, terroir-driven whites perfect for everyday meze.
• Moschofilero & Malagousia – intensely aromatic; Moschofilero hints at Muscat yet finishes dry, while Malagousia balances floral lift with juicy stone-fruit richness.
• Vidiano (Crete) – the rising sensation. Think Marsanne’s texture crossed with Assyrtiko’s mineral snap: oily, savory, utterly compelling, and still just scratching the surface of its potential.

Delicious, refreshing, and priced to explore—these Greek whites are ready to become your next discoveries. Learn more about each of these compelling producers here.

Reds once trailed the whites in Greece’s modern revival, but today they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s classic bottlings. Rooted in centuries-old traditions and grown on rugged, high-altitude vineyards, these wines deliver everything we prize in Old-World greats—striking minerality, vivid aromatics, and refined, age-worthy tannins—even if the grapes are still unfamiliar to most drinkers.

Xinomavro (ksee-NO-mav-ro)—often dubbed Greece’s Nebbiolo—thrives on the cool, high slopes of Naoussa and Amyndeon. The result: dark, perfumed reds with Barolo-like acidity and fine tannins, lifted by alluvial soils and altitude for a rustic yet refined elegance.

In short, the reds emerging from these northern hills possess every hallmark of classic Old-World wine—only the names on the labels are new. Read more about why these bottles belong in any wine collection here.

Over the past decade, Sicily has shed its old reputation for bulk wine and emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting regions. With the island’s historic power structures fading, a new generation of growers—many farming the same vines their grandparents once sold off in bulk—have turned their focus to quality. They’re reviving ancient bush-trained vineyards, embracing organics, and championing indigenous grapes that speak unmistakably of Sicilian soil.

From the lava-cooled slopes of Mount Etna to the sun-kissed south, these pioneers prove Sicily can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s great terroirs. In the lineup below, you’ll find crunchy, mineral-driven Carricante and Grecanico whites, as well as perfumed Nerello Mascalese, Frappato, and Cerasuolo reds—wines that marry centuries-old tradition with a fresh, precision-minded approach. Taste what the island has been quietly perfecting; Sicily’s rising stars are ready for the global stage.

Long contested by Phoenicians, Genoese, Aragonese, and French crowns, Sardinia and Corsica sit at a cultural crossroads—and their vineyards reflect that tangled past. Vermentino, Cannonau (Grenache), Carignano (Carignan), and Niellucciu (a Sangiovese clone) arrived with successive rulers and took root in the islands’ sunbaked granite and windswept schist. Freed from mainland appellation rules, growers often blend these classic grapes in ways you’d never see across the water, yielding whites with Mediterranean salinity and reds that mingle Italian perfume with Rhône-like spice. The bottles below capture that hybrid spirit: familiar varieties, unconventional marriages, and a taste of two islands where history still lingers in every glass.