Winemaking

“The sweet Magnesian wine,
and the Thasian with its apple-scented musk,
these I hold above all others—
together with the flawless Chian, banisher of sorrows.
There is one they call Sapria; when the jars are opened,
its fragrance spreads like violet, rose, and hyacinth.
A divine scent fills the whole house—
nectar and ambrosia. This is the true nectar,
to be sipped in joy among friends at the table—
while to your enemies, offer the wine of Peparethos.”
— Hermippus, Fragment 77 [Epitome, 29e]

On stony slopes and fertile plains of the Mediterranean, a primordial bond was born—one of the oldest that binds humanity to nature: viticulture. From the dawn of civilization to our time, the vine has followed the human journey as a symbol of fertility, memory, and transformation.

The vineyard is not merely a site of cultivation, but a space of ritual. The cycles of the year imprint themselves upon the fruit, and every stage—from pruning to harvest, from crushing to fermentation—forms a silent dialogue between nature and experience. The grape, a gift of the earth, transforms into wine, bearing with it the taste of place and the story of the hands that nurtured it.

From the Minoan wine presses of Crete to the verses of ancient poets, and the ceremonies honoring Dionysus, the vine has carried myth, artistry, and faith. In Greece, its cultivation intertwined with the very notion of civilization, encompassing knowledge, community, and local culture. The country’s vines grow across a landscape of striking geographical variety, from sea-level coastal plains to mountain terraces above 1,000 meters. The vineyards form “islands” of cultivation that span nearly every corner of the land, mainland and archipelago alike.

Viticulture is both science and poetry. Each grape, each drop of must, every glass of wine testifies to a lineage that binds past and present—a tradition continuously reborn through the light, the labor, and the love of those who cultivate it.

The earliest remnants of wild grapes in Greece date to the 8th–6th millennium BCE and the Early Neolithic Period, found in settlements such as Argissa, Achilleion, and Sesklo. The world’s oldest known winery, still preserved today, lies in the Minoan complex of Vathypetro in Crete, where grapes were crushed by foot in a raised stone trough.

In antiquity, Greek wines were considered superior to those of other lands. The Greeks wove myths around wine and sang its praises through their god Dionysus. The reverence for wine carried through to Christianity, where the “blood” of Christ became the sacramental wine of communion.

Today, Greece boasts 33 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and over 100 Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), reflecting the deep diversity and regional specificity of its viticultural heritage.

This virtual exhibition opens a window into the world of the vine and viticulture: a timeless narrative of how, through human hands, the earth becomes culture.

In this virtual exhibition, you can explore photographs of vineyard labor and winemaking in the pre-industrial era; artifacts such as amphorae, flasks, farming tools; clothing and songs of the harvest; proverbs, artworks inspired by viticulture; and documents that chronicle winemaking and its enduring role in rural life.