Renowned chef Jean-Charles Métayer, Consultant Chef of Grace Hotel Santorini, in an interview on the Greek gastronomic scene.

From the very beginning, I knew I wanted a special destination to propose to my (then) girlfriend. It had to be out of the ordinary, with unforgettable views, and also be a great place to hide away together for a week or two after we got engaged. In short, I wasn’t going to settle for anything less than utterly romantic. Santorini fit the bill perfectly.

As Grace Hotel’s Head Chef, I’m blessed to be around so many distinctive, superbly refreshing white wines. They are the products of the island’s rich, centuries-old winemaking tradition. Crisp, minerally and bone-dry, these white wines pair wonderfully with local dishes, from the whole range of mezze spreads and refreshing salads tossed with feta or goat cheese, to lemon-accented fish and seafood dishes. Made primarily from the assyrtiko grape, which is grown on 65 percent of the ungrafted vines on the island, these wines beautifully represent their unique terroir.

Would it sound entirely ridiculous to say the Santorini Cherry Tomato changed my life? My first encounter with the locally-grown treasure was at Aktaion Restaurant, an unassuming traditional taverna that turned out to to be one of the oldest on the island, built over nearly a century ago. It was there that my wife and I first tasted a traditional korkosela made with eggs, fresh tomato and green bell pepper. It was unlike any dish I have ever had. As a backyard-tomato-farmer, the delicacy sent me into a frenzy to research the mystical Santorini Tomato.