- Greek, Mycenaean civilization and more ...
EDITO :
Today, The Mycenaean civilization (1650 1100 BC) advanced wine culture in Greece significantly. Archaeologists discovered a cellar in Pylos with 35 clay pots for storing wine, marked with inscriptions like "wine", "vineyard", and "wine cellar", highlighting its cultural importance. Greek wine production included exports to the Near East and southern Italy, underscoring its economic reach.
Personality of the week :
Magon the Carthaginian, an army general by training and a decent navigator, is associated with Carthage*, the most important of the Phoenician colonies, where he wrote the first agricultural treatise in 28 books. In it, he explains how to plant vines in holes lined with stones to protect the roots, teaches how to improve the yield of almond trees, shows farmers how to fertilize orchards with manure, and specifies the distance that should separate one olive tree from another. Magon recommended engaging slaves in work by allowing them to accumulate savings and buy their freedom. The Latins called Magon "The Father of Agriculture."
*The Carthaginian or Punic civilization is the ancestor of modern-day Tunisia. At the time, it was the place to be, bustling with commerce, innovations, wealth, art, and more.
The info to remember to shine during at your dinners :
We stop at an astonishing figure to show that our era hasn't revolutionized as much as we might think, as our production numbers are very similar. In ancient Greece, a property would plant vines around its vat: 30 hectares, 5,000 vines per hectare, producing 100,000 bottles per year. In fact, these figures match the standards of the great Bordeaux wines and other so-called «Grand Cru» in 2024
Wines, gods, philosophers, and merchants
GREEK : wine is much more than juce
Wine was so important in Greek culture that viticulture was teach at schools. By improving the cultivation of wine, the Greeks enhanced both its quality and quantity, eventually turning it into a currency and a way of life. They created a movement called the SYMPOSION, which means "drinking together." However, the Greeks clearly elevated wine to the level of the gods and made it a means to further philosophy.
The Symposion of Greek Banquets
In classical Greece, meals were divided into two phases: the first was for consuming solid foods like cereals and meats, and the second was dedicated to liquids. In large kraters, wine was mixed with water in proportions agreed upon by the guests. Once the tables were cleared of the meal remnants, they were set with cups and vases. Each person would prepare by washing their hands, applying perfume, and adorning their head with a wreath. The second part of the banquet, called symposion (literally "drinking together"), could then begin.
The master of the banquet, the symposiarch, ensured the smooth running of the event, maintaining harmony and guiding the collective inebriation. He encouraged guests to recite poems, play or listen to music, drink, and enjoy themselves. The symposion was a social and ritual practice that formed a significant part of Greek culture.
Wine Consumption :
Wine was widespread and relatively inexpensive, a daily beverage in both the Greek and Roman worlds. It was consumed alone or with meals. The Greeks diluted their wine with water (one-third wine and two-thirds water), while scandalously, the Macedonians drank theirs undiluted. This dilution helped prevent alcoholism, which was considered (at least by the elite) a barbaric trait of foreign cultures and was widely parodied in Greek comedies. Drunkenness also frequently appears in myths as an explanation for terrible and vulgar behaviors, such as the brawl started by inebriated centaurs at the wedding of Pirithous.
Ancient authors warned of the dangers of drunkenness for both the body and the mind. Aristotle (the tutor of Alexander the Great) even wrote a treatise on the subject, «L'ivresse».
Art of producing «same same but not so diffrent»
The grapes were harvested and then pressed underfoot in large ceramic containers, stone vats, or a simple tiled floor that sloped towards a collection channel. The process became more sophisticated with the invention of beam and weight presses, which increased crushing efficiency and later evolved into screw presses.
Many vineyards on the Greek islands added seawater to the crushed must to make the wine smoother and increase its acidity. The wines were both white and red, the latter gaining its color from letting the mash (pomace and must) rest longer before extracting the juice. A darker red was also obtained by aging the wine for several years and even exposing the wine to heat by storing it in attics built above fireplaces.
The wine fermented in large earthenware jars, typically partially buried in the ground in open-air buildings with walls that had openings to better circulate fresh air. Once ready, the wine was then drained and stored in clay transport amphorae, usually sealed with a clay or resin stopper. These amphorae intended for export were generally stamped to indicate their origin.
Conclusion :
The Greeks profoundly influenced the history of wine through their ingenuity and passion for viticulture. They perfected production techniques, developed vineyards around their colonies, and established the famous philosophical banquets, which not only popularized wine consumption but also bolstered its social and economic role. Their wine culture, enriched by maritime trade and territorial expansion, laid the foundations for the dissemination and evolution of viticulture across subsequent civilizations, notably the Roman Empire, which inherited and successfully adapted this tradition. Thus, the Greeks played a crucial role in promoting and spreading wine throughout the ancient world.
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