|
Wine has been an important part of Greek culture for
over 4000 years as the numerous archeological discoveries throughout
Greece have revealed. The ancient Greeks knew well the nutritional
value of wine as it became an inseparable part of their daily regimen.
Wine also played and important role in the evolution of the local
economy.
For the ancient Greeks the culture of wine was embodied
in the deity, Dionyssus. The son of Zeus and Semeli, Dionyssus was
one of the most worshiped of the Greek Gods inspiring artists, philosophers
and the lives of everyday people. Many festivities were held in
honor of Dionyssus. A celebration of wine known as "Anthestiria"
or " the festival of flowers"
was popular and probably derived its name from the fact that ancient
Greek wines were famous for their flower aromas. The Anthestiria
took place in February when the jars of fermenting wine were ready
to open. Another popular event was the grand celebration known as
"Dionyssia" that took
place in Athens every March. In addition to welcoming the spring
season Dionyssia is also thought to have followed in the Babylonian
tradition of celebrating the New Year in March. The remarkable theater
of Dionyssus located below the Parthenon is a clear testament to
the strong influence of this God in the every day life of the Greeks.
The Ancient Greeks loved to organize intellectual
gatherings called "symposia"
where they would eat and talk about predetermined philosophical
subjects while drinking wine. While moderation was strictly adhered
to, the Greeks would utilize the beneficial effects of wine to help
achieve greater intellectual clarity and spiritual awareness. Wine
was always diluted with water before drinking in a vase called "kratiras,"
derived from the Greek word krasis, meaning the mixture of wine
and water. The word Krasi is now currently used in the Greek language
as the term for wine.
The first traces of wine production in Greece were
found on the island of Crete, in the middle of the 3rd century BC.
Many fascinating insights into the culture of wine were discovered
in the Minoan village of Myrtos near Ierapetra. Several clay wine
presses, wine cups, amphorae and wine seeds were discovered throughout
the island of Crete and brought to light the important role that
wine has played in Greek culture since these ancient times. Discoveries
of tombs in Crete that date from between 3000-2000 BC portray replicas
of winepresses and possibly the oldest winepress in the world was
found in the ruins of Vathypetro near the village of Archanes. Some
of the most astonishing discoveries are the numerous well-preserved
wine vessels found in the storage houses of King Minos’ palace
in Knossos. The sudden disappearance of any trace of the Minoan
Civilization circa 1600 BC is believed to be associated with the
huge volcanic explosion on the neighboring Aegean Island of Santorini.
The Mycenean civilization centered in the Peloponesse
of the Greek mainland existed from 1600-1100 BC and was the next
important Greek civilization to follow the Minoan Period. Among
the many archeological discoveries found were beautiful wine goblets
made from gold and silver, strong evidence that the ancient Myceneans
were not only well-trained warriors but also a highly sophisticated
people who appreciated good wine and treated it with respect. Amongst
these discoveries was the famed golden cup of King Nestor found
by Schliemann in the Mycenaen tomb first mentioned by Homer in the
‘Iliad’. It was during the Mycenean Era that the legendary
Trojan War took place. Thanks to Homer, precious insights into the
life and customs of our Greek ancestors were preserved. Homer’s
references to wine were so significant that the Latin poet Oratios
years later called him Vinosus Homerus.
The Greeks traded their wines throughout the ancient
world by ship inside sealed amphorae. The first evidence of this
was given by Homer. The wine amphorae were tall and pointed at the
base allowing for efficient storage and transportation. This system
enhanced the equilibrium of the ship and allowed for greater quantities
of wine to be transported. Each city-state used a different style
of amphorae allowing us to determine the largest wine trading centers
in ancient Greece.
We have learned from the archeologists which areas
of Greece were popular for their wines such as the islands of Chios,
Lemnos, Lesvos, Rhodes and Crete as well as Thrace and Macedonia
on the mainland. Evidence from numerous shipwrecks tells us that
Greek wine was traded throughout the known ancient world. Homer
sings the praises of Greek wine cellars outside Troy that were full
of wines, brought by ships mainly from the island of Lemnos. Homer
also noted that wine was a valuable commercial product used to barter
for needed metals, leather and even slaves. The Greek wine trade
was organized and sophisticated and was one of the methods the Greeks
used to spread their culture throughout the ancient world. The islands
of the Aegean Sea were so famous throughout the ancient word for
the quality of their wine that Homer referred to the Aegean as the
"Wine-dark Sea".
The Greeks also realized the important influence of
local ecosystems on the characteristics of wine and were the first
to create their own Appellations of Origin. Some of the most famous
wines to be traded with their Appellations of Origin were Arioussios
Oinos from the island of Chios, Thasos from Northern Greece, Mendeous
Oinos from Mende of Chalkidiki and Maronian from Thasos. The system
of different Appellations of Origin was taken very seriously and
strong penalties were imposed on violators of these laws in order
to ensure the authenticity of these wines.
The Greeks introduced winemaking techniques to their
colonies in Italy and Sicily around the 8th century BC and later
in France and Spain. The Italian grapes such as Aglianico, Aleatico,
Greco di Tufo, Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia Bianca, Moscato and
Moscatelli are all of Greek origin. During the "Golden
Age" of Greece, circa 500-300BC, when Athens ruled
the ancient world, the wine trade continued to expand in importance
spreading into Northern Europe and the areas surrounding the Black
Sea. During Alexander the Great’s conquests winemaking was
introduced far into the Asian Continent.
As the Romans came into power in the ancient world,
the wine trade moved from the northern Aegean to the south and was
concentrated primarily on the islands of Crete and Rhodes. It was
during the 1st century BC that "golden years" of Cretan
viticulture began. Amphorae from this period in Crete have been
found in Lyon-France, Switzerland and many villages in Italy including
Pompey. The trading of vine cuttings is also known to have grown
in importance, spreading the indigenous Greek grape varieties throughout
the ancient world. back
to top
During the Byzantine years the viticultural tradition
continued to flourish in the ancient winemaking regions of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity was closely associated with the consumption
of wine. During the religious ceremonies wine was actually believed
to become transformed into the blood of Christ. "Ego
eimi I ampelos" meaning "I
am the vine" is one of numerous religious wine references
to Christ found in ancient frescos and religious icons. Impressive
Byzantine wine goblets have been found in many archeological ruins.
The Christians forbade the worship of the pagan God, Dionyssus,
but the inclusion of wine in Christian religious worship followed
the same path as those in ancient times. The Byzantine Greeks compared
their kingdom to a protected vineyard and their capital, Constantinople,
was known to the Anglo-Saxons as Winbourg meaning the "city
of wine".
During the crusades many Europeans were first introduced
to Greek wines. The Europeans favored the Muscat wines, considered
the finest of all the wines and reserved primarily for the wealthy
nobles. The Muscat wines eventually appeared in southern France
during the 13th century. During this time the more popular wine
producing areas of Greece were Crete, Cyprus, Lesvos, Samos, Evoia
and the Peloponnese.
The deterioration of the viticultural tradition in
Greece followed the decline of the Byzantine Period. The winemaking
tradition was carried on in the local monasteries. Winemaking was
an essential element of the monk’s regimen and they were known
to take extra care with their viticultural lands. The end of Byzantium
brought on difficult times for farmers who were often forced to
sell their land to local monasteries, which were often wealthy enough
to possess the latest in winemaking technology.
Between the 13th and 16th centuries AD, many regions
of Greece were occupied by various western European Countries. During
these years the wine of Malvasia became popular. Malvasia or Malvoise
was the European translation for the medieval fortress of Monemvassia
located on the southern edge of the Peloponnese. From the harbor
of Monemvassia a delicious dessert wine of the same name was exported
that was in great demand during the years the Venetians ruled the
Mediterranean wine trade.
During the rule of the Ottoman Empire the Turks occupied
Monemvassia forcing the Venetians to relocate their production of
precious Malvasia wines to the island of Crete. The Venetians continued
to produce Malvasia for 300 more years until Crete eventually came
under the Turkish occupation. The Venetians finally brought the
vines to Italy where they started producing Malvasia on their own
soil. Therefore the origin of the Italian grapes called Malvasia
di Candia, Malvasia Bianca and Malvasia Nera is from Monemvasia
via Crete.
The Vinsanto wines of Santorini were also popular
during this time. Vinsanto is a naturally sweet wine traditionally
made on the island of Santorini since ancient times. The grapes
were allowed to dry in the sun and from this process derived their
name Liasta from the Greek word "helios"
meaning sun. During Venetian control of trade in the Cyclades Islands,
their ships would often make special stops at the port of Santorini
to pick up the delicious dessert wines produced there. The Venetian
referred to these wines as Santo or Vino Santo after the Island
of Santorini. These famous Vinsanto wines were sent to Crete, other
Cyclades islands, Constantinople, Asia Minor and even Russia. When
France came to dominate the trade in the Cyclades the Venetians
began producing Vino Santo on their own soil, a tradition that continues
to this day. back
to top
During the Turkish occupation of Greece, which lasted
for over 400 years, the Turks discouraged winemaking and its consumption.
The Turks levied high taxes on wine farmers who could not handle
the burden and forced many to abandon their vineyards. During this
time wine was produced in the regions surrounding monasteries or
in places that were under the influence of the Venetians like Santorini
and Crete. During the Turkish occupation the monasteries enjoyed
tax-free privileges, usually at the farmer’s expense. allowing
them a better opportunity to carry on the winemaking tradition.
Many of the islands were able to produce wines since
the Turks often avoided settling permanently in these areas. The
mountainous regions were difficult areas for the Turkish army to
control allowing wine production to continue in these areas as well.
back to top
Towards the end of Turkish occupation the taxes imposed
on farmers had become prohibitive to wine production and many vineyards
were abandoned. The Greeks declared their independence from the
Turks on March 25, 1821. During their retreat from Greece the Turks
burned many farms and vineyards, although almost 20% of the land
of the newly established Greece was still covered with vines. The
boundaries of Greece at this time included the Peloponnese, Sterea
Ellada, the Cyclades, Evoia and the islands of Sporades and Argosaronikos.
These first years of liberation from the Turks found the country
and its people in a severely weakened state.
By 1836 the Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece
had developed monopoly control of the worlds supply of currants
which represented 3% of the total vine cultivation in Greece at
the time. In the following years the region of Peloponnese also
became seriously involved with the cultivation of Korinthiaki currants
which raised the total production of vines dedicated to currants
up to 23% over the next 25 years. Because of the profits made from
currants many farmers began replacing their wine producing vines
with black currants also known as "black
or dark beauties".
During these years the demand for currants had increased
dramatically and many farmers quickly became rich. During the 1870s
the French vineyards were attacked by the devastating Phylloxera,
an insect that attacks and destroys the roots of the vines. The
French were forced to import huge quantities of currants to increase
their own wine production and strengthen their wines. The Greek
farmers continued to replace their winemaking vineyards with raisin
grapes. By 1883 the French vineyards had recovered from the Phylloxera
blight and the French government imposed duties on imported currants
to discourage imports and protect their own vineyards. The beginning
of the 1900s saw the Greek market for currants collapse forcing
many families into bankruptcy. The farmers eventually began to replant
vines and produce wine again.
Before the winemaking industry could recover a series
of wars began that would last through the middle of the 20th Century
further restricting the recovery of the Greek wine industry. First
came the Balkan Wars, then 2 World Wars and finally the Greek Civil
War from 1947-49 prohibiting the recovery of wine production. A
strong wave of emigration that began during the early 1900s and
continued throughout the century also contributed to the abandonment
of large viticultural areas. In addition in 1898 the Macedonian
vineyards were completely destroyed by the Phylloxera which also
ravaged many of the other winemaking regions of Greece.
For most of the 20th century the Greek wine industry
focused on the production of inexpensive table wines mostly exported
in bulk. For many years the local consumers only had access to unregulated
bulk wines, usually right from the barrel and therefore did not
develop an appreciation for the better quality bottled wines. Retsina
became the most popular of Greek wines.
back to top
In recent years, the Greek wine industry has undergone
enormous improvement with serious investments in modern wine making
technology. The new generation of native winemakers is being trained
in the best wine schools around the world and their efforts are
paying off as Greek wines continue to receive the highest awards
in international competitions as well as the recognition they deserve
throughout the world.
What makes Greek wine so unique are the more than
300 indigenous grape varieties grown there, some of which have been
cultivated since ancient times. Many of the world’s best wine
critics agree that the distinct flavors that come from these native
grape varieties are a strong marketing advantage for the Greek wine
industry. Many well-known international grape varieties are also
used in Greek wine making. This extensive variety of grapes together
with the moderate Greek climate, plentiful sunshine, low average
rainfall and soils of moderate fertility combine to provide an excellent
environment for the production of high quality wines.
Now the new challenge for the Greek wine industry
is to educate people in the new style of Greek wine. Investment
in the promotion of Greek wine remains the last piece of the puzzle
before the Greek wine industry can once again resume its place as
one of preeminent producers of quality wines worldwide. back
to top
- Trade of Wine in Antiquity, Antigoni Maragou, History of Greek
Wine, Santorini 7-9 September 1990
- The development of the Greek vineyard from the Greek revolution
to the 2nd World War, Stavroula Kourakou-Dragona, History of Greek
Wine, Santorini 7-9 September 1990
- The Vine and Wine in prehistoric Aegian, Katerina Kopaka, Symposium
of Wine 1-2 February 1997
- A krater full of Good Cheer, Stavroula Kourakou-Dragona
- The Santorini of Santorini, Fani Boutari Institution
- The Greek Wines, Miles Lambert-Gócs
- Over the wine-dark sea, Ilias Anagnostakis, The illustrated
Greek Wine Book
- Hugh Johnson, Story of Wine
|
