November 2006

Welcome to our November newsletter. This month we have a feature on the history of Greek wine and will be continuing the theme next month with the wide variety of wines produced on Corfu itself.

GREEK WINE

Do you ever wonder how vines found their way to France and Italy? The credit should go to the Greeks with their love of travel, creation of strong carrying containers, and not forgetting their passion for their drink of choice – wine!

The Greek tradition of wine can be traced back almost four thousand years.

Numerous archaeological discoveries throughout Greece have shown that wine was an important part of Greek culture at that time and there is also substantial evidence that wine has also been produced in Greece since at least 4000 BC.

The first traces of wine production in Greece were found on the island of Crete, in the middle of the 3rd century BC. Clay wine presses, wine cups, amphorae (ceramic/clay storage vessels) and wine seeds were discovered throughout the island.

The next important Greek civilization to follow the Minoan Period was the Mycenean civilization. Centred in the Peloponnese of the Greek mainland, they existed from 1600-1100 BC and among the many archaeological discoveries found were beautiful wine goblets made from gold and silver.

Amphora (5th century BC) found in shipwreck	Mycenean goblet from 1300BC

The Greeks always drank their wine diluted……Undiluted wine was thought to be dangerous. Diluted wine, however, was well known to the Greeks to have many medicinal benefits. During wine parties, the event would begin with three bowls being brought in. One would contain wine, the second water, and the third was for mixing the two together. After mixing, they would each have their own clay cup, or ‘ kylix’ to drink from. These would often be elaborately decorated.

Kylix from 500BC

The Roman god of wine, Bacchus, was known as ‘Dionyssus’ in ancient Greece. 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 his honour – A celebration of wine known as “Anthestiria” or “the festival of flowers” was popular and it is thought its name comes 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.

Trade was very important - Wine was carried to Sicily and Italy, to France and the Black Sea. The Greeks traded their wines by ship inside sealed amphorae. The wine amphorae were usually 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 which today helps archaeologists determine the largest wine trading centres in ancient Greece.

Today, Greece is not really considered to be such an important producer by wine enthusiasts. However 370,000 acres of vines are grown in Greece with around half being used for wine. This wine is mostly white and sweet. The flavours used in some wines, especially *Retsina, does require an acquired palate and are not typically sought after outside of the country.

(*Retsina – only produced in Greece & Cyprus this is a traditional wine which has been treated with pine-tree resin. The resin gives the wine a distinctive ‘sappy’ taste. Retsina can either be white or rose and should be served cold)

A new breed of winemakers is trying to turn this around by growing well-known varietals such as Chardonnay and Cabernet in a style more appreciated by the modern palate and next month we will be looking at the numerous wines produced on Corfu.