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'''Ancient Greece''' was a formative civilisation in the history of [[wine]], establishing practices of [[viticulture]], trade, and cultural use that shaped the [[Mediterranean]] and beyond. Wine in [[Greece]] held social, religious, and economic significance, and many of its traditions influenced later Roman and European developments.<ref>Phillips, ''A Short History of Wine'', HarperCollins, 2000, pp. 27–38, ISBN 978-0066212821.</ref>

== Background ==
Viticulture in Ancient Greece expanded from earlier traditions of the [[Near East]], with evidence of [[wine production]] by the second millennium BCE.<ref>Unwin, ''Wine and the Vine: An Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade'', Routledge, 1991, pp. 98–104, ISBN 978-0415075370.</ref> By the classical period, wine was an established staple of Greek diet and commerce, traded widely throughout the [[Aegean]] and Mediterranean. [[Amphorae]] recovered from shipwrecks and archaeological sites illustrate the extent of this trade, with exports reaching [[Egypt]], Southern [[Italy]], and the Black Sea region.<ref>Mazar, ''Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000–586 B.C.E.'', Doubleday, 1990, p. 447, ISBN 978-0385423091.</ref> 

== Viticulture and winemaking ==
Greek viticulture was adapted to the varied landscapes of the peninsula and islands, often on terraced hillsides. [[Vineyard|Vineyards]] were managed with attention to [[pruning]] and [[soil]] care, though techniques remained rudimentary compared to modern methods.<ref>Unwin, ''Wine and the Vine'', Routledge, 1991, p. 112.</ref> [[Grapes]] were pressed by foot or with simple mechanical devices, and wines were frequently stored and transported in clay amphorae sealed with resin, a practice that influenced the later style of retsina.<ref>Dalby, ''Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece'', Routledge, 1996, p. 76, ISBN 978-0415122319.</ref>

Wine was often diluted with water before consumption, a convention that distinguished Greek practice from that of neighbouring peoples. The blending of herbs and aromatics was also recorded, reflecting a view of wine as both a pleasure and a medicinal product.<ref>Detienne, ''Les Jardins d’Adonis: La mythologie des aromates en Grèce'', Gallimard, 1972, pp. 45–47, ISBN 978-2070294000.</ref>

== Cultural significance ==
Wine occupied a central place in Greek social and religious life. The symposium, a formalised drinking gathering, combined wine with intellectual discourse, poetry, and music.<ref>Phillips, ''A Short History of Wine'', 2000, p. 35.</ref> [[Dionysus]], the god of wine and ecstasy, was a central figure in Greek religion and myth, with festivals such as the Dionysia celebrating his cult through ritual drinking and theatre.<ref>Dalby, ''Siren Feasts'', 1996, pp. 83–85.</ref> 

Wine was also a marker of cultural identity: diluted wine symbolised moderation and civilisation, in contrast to the perceived excesses of “barbarian” drinking customs. The Greek traditions of viticulture and symposium were later absorbed and adapted by the [[Roman Era|Romans]], ensuring their continuity into the wider Mediterranean world.<ref>Unwin, ''Wine and the Vine'', 1991, p. 121.</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Roman Era]]  
* [[Near East]]  
* [[Greece]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:History of wine]]  
[[Category:Ancient Greece]]