Often during our holidays my partner and I end up in beautiful regions where people are extremely proud of their sun-roasted, local wines. I still do have some interest in trying out the best a place has to offer, but I also know that unfortunately I am seldom anything but disappointed. This summer in Corsica, it was impossible to get a single glass of good red wine because mainland wines were banned and restaurants insisted on serving pungent Corsican red wine with our lovely food.
Ragni and I had taken a flight to Santorini for ten relaxing days of holiday in the name of love. For once, we would not roam around but instead just take care of ourselves at the wonderful La Maltese estate villa, located at the top of a cliff, with a sunset balcony suspended hundreds of feet over the cobalt blue Aegean Sea.
The restaurant at Villa Maltese was so ambient and cozy that we had almost every meal there and quickly became good friends with Alexandros, the restaurant’s charismatic sommelier. Naturally, he wanted to show us every part of the Santorinian wine world and tried, with some unexpected success, to convert this skeptical Swede. One evening he said, rather interestingly, that all taste was subjective and only coloured by habit. I did not renounce this notion, but agreed only partially with him. He said, in all seriousness, that you preference for Greek or French wines is purely down to taste. Assyrtiko or Montrachet?
