The Greeks played a fundamental role in the history of wine. They not only spread vines and knowledge of winemaking to many nations but also were extremely enthusiastic consumers, incorporating wine into a range of cultural activities. This created lasting associations that continue to inform wine’s elevated reputation and stature. Wine was of religious importance (Dionysus, god of wine and therefore hedonism, which evolved to become Rome’s Bacchus) and military consequence (it was rationed to soldiers), was celebrated for its medicinal properties, was the liquid fuel of philosophers, and was drunk both by leaders and the lower classes. It was also a yardstick against which the Greeks measured their enemies. Beer-drinking societies such as the Gauls were looked down upon, and those that consumed undiluted wine, such as Thracians, were equally scorned. In short, the Greeks viewed not just the consumption of wine, but the proper consumption of wine, as essential to keeping civilization civilized. Toward this end, the Greek oenohoos could even be considered the forerunner to the sommelier. These proto-sommeliers were responsible for blending wine and water during the era’s many symposia, in an effort to stoke spirited discourse while avoiding crass drunkenness—a fine balance indeed.
Depiction of an oenohoos
What is defined today as “Greek wine” is wine made within Greece’s current political boundaries. This sounds straightforward, but those boundaries have changed many times over the
Hey Devon! I wouldn't worry about a specific elevation requirement here. The language used in the PDO documents across all grand cru designations is "selected vineyards". This leaves it up to producers to designate their own "Grand Crus."
It says that "grand cru" wines usually come from higher elevation vineyards... I understand this isn't a requirement but can you provide some context as to what is considered "high elevation" in this case? I see UWC Samos vineyards are above 400m, is this a good approximation for others as well?
Thank you so much for clarifying.
Hey Rasmus! Great question. This is due to the island having the three PGI's of Mantzavinata, Metaxata, and Slopes of Ainos. So there is no need for an island-wide PGI due to the island being sufficiently covered by its current designations.
Hi Jonathan. Do you know why Cephalonia don’t have a PGI for the entire island like the other 3? If a producers makes wine outside the PDO areas what would that be labelled as?
Thank you, Jonathan.
Hey Michael! Yes, these are PGI wines. Per the guide "Sparkling wine must be rosé to be bottled as PDO, but Xinomavro blanc de noirs and sparkling Assyrtiko can be thrilling. Beyond Xinomavro, the vineyards of Amynteo also feature lesser amounts of Merlot, Syrah, Roditis, Malagousia, and Sauvignon Blanc, which are vinified into the area’s many PGI wines."
In the Assyrtiko section, it says that it informs several sparkling wines in Amynteo. Is that outside of the PDO which looks like it only authorizes Xinomavro?
Thanks, Michael. This is updated!
Just a note that there is an additional reference to the previous number of 75% in the Assyrtiko section under Grape Varieties.