The famed Grecian islands of Santorini gets only a few rains each year. The islands’ traditional roofs are arched to shed water into drainage spouts that

collect the runoff. Still, almost all the islanders’ freshwater must be shipped in. So how do Santorinians grow enough grapes to support a notable wine industry?

Photo from Santorini.net

Layers of pumice

Pumice.

Back in the bronze age, a megaton volcano blew Santorini apart so violently that her ash cloud blanketed the Earth. Fallout from that cloud buried what was left of Santorini in a mega layer of pumice.

Pumice is so porous that it scrapes humidity out of sea air and holds it like a sponge. The rock can protect its hoard against evaporation, but not a grape root worming its way into pumice’s hiding places and sipping droplets.

Santorini vineyard

Even with adequate water, life is harsh on a bed of hot rock. Santorini vine tenders help the vines flourish by training them into coiled wreaths which help shade developing grapes.
Thanks to pumice and ingenuity, Santorini offers more wine than water…or so I’ve heard.