Do you think people have wondered where the reference to wines being the “nectars of the Gods” comes from? It comes to us from the myths of the ancient Greeks of course where wine was revered as part of many ancient religious festivals known as Bacchanals and where it was a wonder cure all that was also known to restore virility, bestow mortality and revive the dead.
Perhaps this ancient Greek population knew how healthy red wine really is for you and that is why their citizens revered it so much. In fact the reason that many Americans seek out eating in a Greek restaurant such as the beautifully rustic Niko’s Greek Taverna in White Plains, New York is to sample the healthy wines which also have the well-known side effect of making you feel quite euphoric, robust and nicely settled as well.
Greece in general boasts an extensive roster of popular wines that features classic wines from Nemea, Pelopponese and other famous parts of the country especially in the southern part. These delicious wines feature grapes grown in salty seaside air on mountain slopes. The finest Greek wines are made of different Greek grape types such as mavrodaphne,moschofilero, agiorgitiko, assyrtiko, moscato and xinomavro and you can sample them in restaurants like Niko’s where the management goes to the trouble of collecting the very best Greek Wines possible.
Dionysus – The Greek God of Wine.
They say that whenever you drink red wine you are getting in touch with the spirit of the Greek God Dionysus. He is the ancient Greek God of the grape harvest and the ruler of madness, ecstasy, festivals, celebrations, dining well and the theater. Aside from grapes and a big goblet of wine he was also thought to rule over with Satyrs – the mythological half man, half goat creatures that were known for being overly romantic.
Once you get over the drama, the romance and the exaggerations in the Greek myths you come to know that in the end, drinking red wine is about what it always has been – celebrating and having a good time with your loved ones!
The Famous Wines of Greece
If Dionysus had wines he preferred back then they would have probably been wines that come from the Pelopponese region that has a history of wine cultivation that goes back as far as 7,000 years. The wines made here come from seaside vineyards that are located on the slopes of nearby mountains. A couple amazing ancient grape varieties, known as the Agiorgitiko and the Moschofilero come from this area.
Argolida is a area in the northeast part of the Pelopponese that is also known for excellent wine made from Agiorgitiko grapes. The Meden Agan, which was created in 1979, is now one of the most famous contemporary wines in foodie history.
In Mantinia which is at a higher elevation than Nemea there are fertile plateaus at 600 meters above sea level that produces fine wines made from at least 85% Moschofilero grapes. One highly renowned products of these nectars is a wine named Cambas.
More modern wines come from the region of Nemea which is in the southern part of the country. It is famous for the Agiorgitiko grape which is grown in a mountainous zone vinyards. Nemea is one of the oldest locations in ancient Greece and a place where many bacchanals were held in honor of the Greek God Dionysus.
There are many more vineyard areas in Greece that historically supplied a nectar to humans that was also fit for Godly consumption.
You may know that olive oil was also considered to be one of the nectars of the Greek Gods. No wonder red wine just seems to go down so well with so many of the great tapenades, salads, bakery products that are associated with traditional Greek cuisine.
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