Winemaker
Yiannis Papaeconomou
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Santorini, Greece
i. Biography
Yiannis Papaeconomou works Assyrtiko from Santorini with a measured hand at Vassaltis Vineyards in Santorini, Greece. The style he favors leans toward more fruit, more finesse, and more elegance — a reading of Santorini Assyrtiko that pulls back from the island’s harsher clichés and lets the grape show contour, balance, and place without overstatement.
The Climb
Training at Athens gave Yiannis Papaeconomou a disciplined base in winemaking, but the work sharpened on Santorini, where the island’s severe conditions demand attention at every step. That foundation led into Domaine Sigalas in Santorini, Greece (2009–2013), where vineyard and cellar work took shape under the realities of the island’s singular terroir and the constant negotiation between vine, weather, and terrain. The paired roles at Vassaltis Vineyards (since 2015) ask for consistency in both vineyard and cellar, and Papaeconomou’s work sits inside that requirement. As winemaker and vineyard manager, he operates in a setting where detail matters and execution has to stay patient; the record of his career points to a practitioner who reads wine through the labor that precedes it.
Today
The work at Vassaltis Vineyards is tied directly to the conditions of Santorini, and Papaeconomou names those pressures plainly: "we are facing huge problems here, with the drought, the lack of winter, the age of the plants and the touristic toxicity, but we are trying our best." The statement describes the daily terms of the job: produce with care while working inside an environment that resists easy solutions. ALS Wine extends that Assyrtiko focus into another collaboration. ALS Extreme Terroir Assyrtiko is an exceptional terroir-driven dry white wine created by Yiannis Papaoikonomou with Ilias Roussakis and Alexis Kolovos. The bottling places his name alongside the island’s raw material and keeps the emphasis on site, variety, and exacting intent.
Career - winemaker — Vassaltis Vineyards, Santorini, Greece (2015–present) - vineyard manager — Vassaltis Vineyards, Santorini, Greece (2015–present) - vineyard manager and assistant winemaker — Domaine Sigalas, Santorini, Greece (2009–2013) Education: Athens
Signature
Yiannis's signature wines include ALS Extreme Terroir Assyrtiko 2021. The wine distills the contours of his work: Assyrtiko, extreme terroir, and a preference for shape and poise over brute force.
Recognition
The clearest recognition attached to his work is the named ALS bottling, which fixes his Assyrtiko focus to a specific collaboration and wine. Its value is in the attribution itself: a dry white from Santorini, built from extreme terroir, three producers, and a single grape.
FAQ What is Yiannis Papaeconomou's current role? As of 2026, Yiannis Papaeconomou is Winemaker and vineyard manager. Where did Yiannis Papaeconomou train or study? Yiannis Papaeconomou trained at Athens. What is Yiannis Papaeconomou known for? Assyrtiko.
