Viticulture in Greece

Viticulture in Greece

Is one of the oldest in the world. The combination of soil and climate allowed it to expand and older texts of Greek literature as the Iliad and Odyssey bear witness
The earliest Greek wines have been dated to 6,500 years, their development meets the needs of a family or a small community. Next progress of Greek civilization, their production and marketing took a big way. Archaeological excavations have shown that the consumption of wine was an effective across the Mediterranean. He gained a high prestige in Italy under the Roman Empire. This reputation lasted until the Middle Ages, where the wines exported from Greece and its islands were seen as the only ones worthy of royal or papal tables in Western Europe.
"The wine was adopted by the Greeks, at least from the IIIemillénaire BCE. But a recent discovery shows archaeobotany making wine Dikili Tash, in northern Greece, Neolithic (late fifth millennium), may be from wild vines
These oldest traces of wine have been dated to -6500. This discovery was made by Tania Valamoti, the Department of Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The Neolithic site Dikili Tash, located in the plain of Drama in East Macedonia and Thrace, about 1.5 km east of the ancient city of Philippi, the archaeologist and his team searched four houses where they discovered 2,460 charred seeds and grape skins 300 steps. The analysis of these remnants of winemaking has revealed that these grains originated either lambrusques, is a very early variety. Greek archaeologists have also unearthed clay cups with two handles and pots suggesting the transfer of liquids and consommationLa presence of carbonized figs, near the remains of grapes, suggesting that they were used as adjuvant for sweet disguise the bitterness of the juice of wild grapes. Tania Valamoti explained: "The figs, sweeter, have been added to the grape juice before fermentation, and then after the completion of the fermentation process." The team of the Aristotle University will be analyzed pottery Dikili Tash to determine whether tartaric acid was present in tassesThucydide had said: "The Mediterranean peoples began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and vigne4 ". It was a success because, six centuries later, the poet Virgileécrivit it "would be easier to count the grains of sand of the sea than listing all the Greek wines"
Wine Islands
Five islands of the Aegean Sea providing renowned wines: Chio, with the raw and Arivisios Phainos whose fame equaled dearness unmétrète (about 40 liters) worth a mine, or the price of a pair of oxen; Lesbos, Samos, Lemnos, while in Naxos legend wanted it gushed a source of natural wine
Wines of the continent
Thrace, birthplace of the famous Dionysus provided Maroneia with which Odysseus Cyclops drunk. Of Macedonia came raw Acanthiaet Mende. Thessaly was known for his Heraclea and Attica was developed ChrysatikosLe the famous Greek wine name was used to designate OENOS: ŒNATE: vintage Illyrian, ŒNONTE: Greek thought, Oenoe: city of Attica and believed cited by Pliny ŒNIADES: city of Thessaly, ŒNUS: city of Arcanamie, ŒNOPIE or Oenone: Aegina, OENOPHYTA: town in Boeotia.
To contain wine or drink, the Greeks used to be a askos, kantharos, acetabulum, Crater, Dinos Kyathos, Kylix, lagynos, Lebes, Oinochoe, Olpe, Psykter, or rhyton Skyphos
The main wine regions of Greece are the Peloponnese, Attica, Macedonia, the island of Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Crete and Epirus
Mainland Greece, Crete and other islands have limestone floors, while Santorini is a volcanic island transformed into a caldera, off nearly 15 km, covered with volcanic ash. These soils are ideal for vine
According to climate data of Athens and Corfu, it appears that the rainfall that restrict outside the continent, the vegetative period of the vine, temperatures remain conducive to ripening until October and November. In areas experiencing heavy rainfall, the berries burst, due to rain, involves diluting flavorings and remains the leading cause of bad vintages.
es vineyard areas are in decline since the 1960 (236 000 ha in 1961 to 146,000 ha in 1991). They are mainly dedicated to the production of wine (55% in 1964 and 53% in 1984). If the area devoted to wine decreased production, it has increased due to improved techniques, but also through specialization. As long as all farmers producing wine now, certain holdings and regions are specialized. The major wine producing regions are the north and west of the Peloponnese (Elis, Achaia and Corinth), the region of Heraklion in Crete and central Greece (Attica, Boeotia and Euboea). Each of these regions in 1994 produced more than 51,000 tons of grape