The wine for us Greeks, besides being included in the five key elements of our diet along with water, salt, oil and grains (or rather precisely because of it) was closely associated with the culture, with our religion . Nevertheless, there were pink all periods of Greek history about wine. He's many adventures, from MC and persecution, until reaching its current position.
In Greece, favorable soil and climatic conditions have allowed the widespread vine growing very early. The principle of viticulture in Greece goes back to the Neolithic period, but the greatest growth is noted between the 13th and the 11th BC century. The wines were exported at that time was a lot, but most famous were the wines of the Aegean islands. The Chios, Lesvios and Thasian were the highest paid wine in the 4th BC century. To protect it from imitations and forgeries, the wines of Thasos were sold in amphorae that their resistance is guaranteed. The wine laws of the 5th century BC Thassos is nothing less than the most ancient texts on the protection of Wine Designation of Origin, as part of an overall wine policy designed to ensure product quality and protect the healthy vintner. The similarities between the Ancient Greek legislation for quality wines produced in specific regions and EU legislation It is stunning.
In the Hellenistic period and the Byzantine era, the many ways an extension of the ancient world, took place a change in the relationship between man and Dionysus and gifts. This god, the evampelos (rich in vineyards and wines), the generous, the lysimerimnos (enemy of problems and worries), the iperopefs (Sly smoothie), the ridiculous, filomeidefs (consul laughter and smile friend) crashed and years of Justinian defeated by another god. The vine and the wine is indeed the most sacred symbols that Christianity borrowed from ancient religions. The Old and New Testaments abound with references.The spread of Christianity in Medieval Europe proved vital for the maintenance of viticulture and winemaking. The wine occupies an important place in the Eucharist. In addition, however, due to its therapeutic properties (especially in areas where water was contaminated) is presented as eminently valuable commodity, medicine souls and bodies. It is God's gift, "gladdens the human heart." When drunk in moderation helps to stimulate and strengthen the body, but its misuse is aberrant and debauchery. The Greek vineyard, as he grew up on the eve of the Second World War. Formed under conditions that are directly related to the history of the genus. It started small and gradually increased each time new enslaved territories find their freedom, with the result that Greece acquired the current borders, the Greek vineyard to be the sum of various departmental vineyards, whose development was dictated by different for each apartment conditions.
The history of modern Greek wine production and the development of bottled wine in Greece begins the last fifty years, in the 1960s.
