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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