Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on July 13, 2026.
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When we think of wines from Santorini in Greece, our first thought is almost always the acidic white Assyrtiko.
But did you know the island is also home to delicious red wines, too? Although the holdings of Mavrotragano are quite small, if you ever stumble upon a bottle, like this one from Hatzidakis Winery, grab it right away- you'll really be in for a treat.
Santorini red wines are delicious!
Mavrotragano is a Robust Red from Santorini
This Mavrotragano was medium ruby in color with medium(+) aromas of black raspberry, clove, tobacco, black pepper, blueberry, red raspberry, leather, plum jam, bramble, wet leaves, and forest floor.
On the palate, it was dry with high acidity, medium(+) chalky tannin, body, and flavor intensity as well as medium alcohol and finish. We had more red fruit notes here than the nose, which leaned towards darker fruits, with notes of red cherry, cranberry, tobacco, cedar, clove, blackberry, cassis, leather, and dried leaves.
This one also had an aroma note that almost made us think of something silky and velvety going along with the mineral and tertiary notes which we found pleasing; however, that was less present on the palate.
Mavrotragano Food Pairing – Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
We paired this Greek red with sous vide lamb meatballs with Moroccan spices, as we thought its intensity and higher tannin content would hold up nicely with the fatty meat.
This pairing was a good one in our opinion, as the fat helped mask some of the red fruit notes and let some more of the subtle, darker fruit notes like blueberry and blackberry shine through. That velvety note we were getting in the aroma also popped a bit more, while the earthy characteristics like dried leaves also became muted ever-so-slightly- in a good way.
Not a bad pairing at all!
Score: 4 / 5
We'd buy another bottle of this one.
Overall, we were really pleased with this Mavrotragano and quite enjoyed it- so much so that we'd gladly pick up another bottle if we ever find it again. This one reminded us a bit of a blend between a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, albeit perhaps not as strong in intensity as those in popular regions in, say, France or California. But if you like a big bold red with an array of flavors going on from primary to tertiary, don't overlook Hatzidakis Winery's Mavrotragano!
Hatzidakis Winery is located at Pyrgos Kallistis 84700 Santorini, Greece. We purchased this bottle on Wine.com and enjoyed it in 2026.
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