Greek Wines (VM)

Wine has been an important part of Greek culture for over 4000 years as the numerous archaeological discoveries throughout Greece have revealed.  For the ancient Greeks the culture of wine was embodied in the deity, Dionysus.  Many festivities were held in honour of Dionysus.  In recent years, the Greek wine industry has undergone enormous improvement with serious investments in modern wine making technology.  The new generation of native winemakers is being trained in the best wine schools around the world and their efforts are paying off as Greek wines continue to receive the highest awards in international competitions as well as the recognition they deserve throughout the world.

What makes Greek wine so unique are the more than 300 indigenous grape varieties grown there, some of which have been cultivated since ancient times.  Many of the world’s best wine critics agree that the distinct flavours that come from these native grape varieties are a strong marketing advantage for the Greek wine industry.  Many well-known international grape varieties are also used in Greek wine making.  This extensive variety of grapes together with the moderate Greek climate, plentiful sunshine, low average rainfall and soils of moderate fertility combine to provide an excellent environment for the production of high quality wines.