Gaia Wines Thalassitis Assyrtiko
I’ve been to Greece a couple times now but it wasn’t until my second visit (last May) that I discovered Greek wine. The very first one was the Thalassitis Assyrtiko from Gaia (pronounced ghye) Wines. Now, a year later and another visit to Greece in, I got to visit one of 
Gaia’s wineries.
While the Thalassitis is from Gaia’s Santorini winery, not the one in Nemea I visited, I got to taste their Assyrtikos all the same. Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos founded Gaia on Santorini in 1994. Located in Monolithos on the east coast of the island, the winery is a repurposed tomato processing plant, a remnant of Santorini’s artisanal, agricultural history, dating back to the early 19th century. Yiannis, one of the leading innovators of today’s new generation of internationally trained Greek winemakers, has been instrumental in trying to help save the vineyard of Santorini from being lost to the forces of modern change. He and Leon have always believed in the tremendous potential of their native Greek varieties, especially Assyrtiko, and continue their drive to make this special grape a household name throughout the world.
They take great care with their winemaking at Gaia. Grapes are chilled in cooling chambers prior to vinification, de-stemed, then and 
cold-soaked for 12 hours at approximately 10 C. This pre-fermentation extraction greatly enhances the varietal aromas of Assyrtiko. Gaia implements a very cool fermentation process, around 16-17 C which further protects Assyrtiko’s freshness.
Gaia Wines Thalassitis Assyrtiki 2015 Tasting Notes
The Thalassitis Assyrtiko shows a brilliant light yellow in the glass hinting at the delicate yet crisp wine within. The nose is delicate with perfumed honeysuckle, tropical fruits, and the beautiful smell of the sea. On the palate the wine is bone-dry with bracing acidity. It tastes like so many things: gently floral with apple and pineapple and the zing of a mineral finish.
If you could compare a flavor to a sensation, Gaia’s Thalassitis would be reminiscent of the moment the sea froths up around your bare feet while you stand at the edge of a beach.