This second article in our series on Greek wine takes us back through the history of wine in Greece. In the history of wine, Greece played a special role. While wine was part of the eating habits of the Greeks, it above all had a very particular role. Drinking wine set the Greeks apart from the barbarians. That said, winegrowing in Greece had a varied history, moving between golden ages and decline. Wine in Greece has crossed centuries of history that you can now discover. It is up to you to dive into the centuries of wine history in Greece!
Wine in Greek antiquity
It is very hard to say exactly when wine first appeared in Greece. However, recent research suggests that wine growing may have started in Georgia and Armenia around 6000 BC. In Greece, traces of crushed grapes date back more than 6,500 years. These are the earliest traces of winegrowing in Europe. The discovery of wine presses in many regions of Greece confirms this. The Mycenaean civilisation (1650 to 1100 BC) greatly advanced wine in Greece and the development of this activity in the country. On this point, researchers made an impressive discovery at Pylos: a cellar of 35 clay pots used to store wine was found by archaeologists. In this village, inscriptions such as “wine”, “vineyard” and “wine cellar” were found, showing how important wine was to the Mycenaean civilisation. It is worth noting that part of the wine production in Greece was already intended for export, in particular to the Near East and southern Italy. Wine is also present in the history of Greece through the writings that have survived. We find mentions of wine (and its delights) in the writings of Homer and Hesiod. Athenaeus of Naucratis and Theophrastus, both scholars and botanists, wrote about the winegrowing of the time. These writings are particularly useful for understanding how wine was produced in Greece back then. For example, the Greeks often added spices or herbs to produce a particular type of wine: a wine characteristic of the region. For instance, honey was often added to wine. Another widespread practice was to add seawater to wine. Moreover, some wines were considered medicines, used for therapeutic purposes only. Hippocrates, a well-known figure in the world of medicine, issued recommendations on how much wine to drink and how to drink it for health benefits. In addition, trade played a special role in the development of winegrowing in Greece. Wine was decisive for the economy of many cities. In that sense, we find coins bearing symbols of grape clusters or amphorae. Finally, wine played a special role in the religious life of ancient Greece, in particular through offerings to Dionysus. Processions were organised, as well as tragedies and comedies in honour of the god of wine.
Wine in Greece in Roman times
The history of wine in Greece does not stop at the end of antiquity: it continues through the Roman era. Greece kept contributing greatly to winegrowing, even though the name “Greek wine” was banned. Indeed, Greek know-how had a great influence on wine culture in the Italian peninsula. Even though the wine trade slowly shifted towards Italy and France, Greece kept a fine place among the wines of the Empire. The poet Virgil mentioned Greek wines in his writings.
Greek wine in Byzantine times
Moving the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople had a major impact on Greek wine. Wine production in Greece was, at the time, mainly in the hands of the private and ecclesiastical spheres. Wine was important in Christian rites; vines, grape clusters and harvests were symbols of the Christian faith. Moreover, in the 7th century AD, the first taverns appeared. At the same time, cheap wine, often of low quality, began to spread. This wine delighted the working classes. The Venetians and Genoese benefited greatly from the wine trade. Winegrowing in Greece did not stop with the fall of Constantinople and the arrival of the Ottomans in 1453. However, ever-increasing taxes on winegrowing led to growing impoverishment among the winegrowers. The great disaster for wine in Greece came with the war of independence in 1821. The Turks burned all the land as they retreated. Nevertheless, the territories that were not under Turkish influence were able to continue their trade relations with the rest of Europe.
The contemporary history of wine in Greece
After this war, Greece took a long time to recover economically and politically. The wine sector also gradually recovered, in particular by exporting large volumes of wine to France, where phylloxera had then devastated the vineyards. At the same time, however, the wines of Australia and California appeared in Europe, pulling prices down. Then phylloxera appeared in Greece in 1898, in Macedonia. As in other countries, importing phylloxera-resistant vines from the United States solved the problem. The 20th century was one of the richest centuries in the history of Greece and, by extension, in the history of Greek wines. At the start of the century, Greek wine was generally of poor quality. Although production was significant, a large part of Greek wine went unsold. Some large estates invested heavily and managed to develop the first great Greek wines. With growing urbanisation, these wines found buyers in the big cities: a new class of consumers was born. Finally, in the early 1970s, the first appellation laws for wine in Greece were adopted, signalling alignment with other European countries. Since then, many vineyards have been developing and wine in Greece is undergoing a genuine revival. Among small and large producers alike, the quality of Greek wine has greatly improved. Today you can find real gems among the wines of Greece, some of which have even won awards at the highest international levels!
Want to learn more about Greek wines? You can go back to our series on Greek wine.
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