World-Famous Santorini Wines Owe their Exceptional Quality to Island’s Volcano An assortment of Santorini wines. Credit: Marcelo Costa , CC BY 2.0/Wikipedia Commons Santorini’s wines are understandably world-famous for their exceptional quality and unique character, while the island’s vineyards are the oldest in Greece, some with trees planted 300 years ago. The island’s wines owe their unique quality to the volcanic soil of the idyllic isle. The highlights of Santorini’s microclimate are severe droughts, and strong, desiccating winds sweeping over the entire island; however, dense night mists rising from the volcanic caldera provide just the right amount of moisture for the grape crop.