The islands of the Cyclades are mostly composed of gneiss and mica schist, sometimes granite and volcanic rock. In ancient times called they were called the the "Pearls of Hellas" for their fertility.
Today many of the islands are devoid of tree vegetation, arid, bare and burnt. On the islands of Paros and Santorini wine is cultivated on a larger scale, so that the total area under vine in the Cyclades is 4,100 hectares. Both islands have cultivation areas with the rank of OPAP.
The great heat and drought lead to a rigorous selection of grape varieties. Only varieties that can cope excellently with drought stress can be cultivated. The strong wind can greatly affect yields by destroying the flowers in the spring. Besides the islands of Paros and Santorini, there are also vineyards on the islands of Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos and Syros. Due to the poor soils with an extremely low clay content, phylloxera has never been able to gain a foothold in the Cyclades. The average age of the vines is therefore among the highest in all of Greece.
