Inscribed on clay tablets discovered at Knossos and dating to circa 1850 BCE, these ideograms trace their origins to the Minoan civilization, which settled the southern Aegean some 5,000 years ago, including the island of Thira (modern-day Santorini). Today, on Crete, growers continue this lineage through Assyrtiko, an ancient variety originating from Santorini, cultivated here by the Alexakis brothers from high-elevation vineyards where Bronze Age wine presses still endure. The wine is fermented in tank and aged sur lie for three months, and is bottled under the Crete Protected Geographical Indication.