Greek wine guide

There are currently around 200 different varieties of grapes cultivated for the production of high quality wines in Greece.

Greece is one of the oldest wine producing region in the world having started as early as 6,000BC, and has a long history of wine production and viticulture; intertwining itself strongly with culture and civilisation.

As the Ancient Greek civilisation spread across Europe into Italy, Sicily, France and as far as Spain; so did the cultivated vines and religion connected to wine; growing alongside the number of worshippers to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

Wine, as well as the wine making culture, became a representation of the gift of the god as well as a symbolic representation of the values. This importance given to wine and wine production, helped keep it alive over the centuries and into modern day production.

In the early 20th century, Greek wine established itself with the creation of the Wine Institute and Vine Institute, two organisations devoted to researching, documentation and preservation of Greek wine making. Appellations to assure the origins of wine varieties were established.

You can find more information about the main varieties below.