From Mythology to Early Civilisations (c. 7000 BCE – 1600 BCE)
The history of wine in Greece is a tale as ancient as civilisation itself, deeply intertwined with mythology, religion, trade, and cultural identity. Archaeological evidence suggests that viticulture in the region dates back at least 9,000 years, making it one of the earliest known centres of wine production and consumption. From the earliest traces of wild grape domestication in Neolithic Thessaly to the flourishing of Minoan and Mycenaean wine cultures, the Greek relationship with wine laid the foundation for much of Western oenological tradition.
Wine and Mythology: The Divine Gift of Dionysus
No discussion of Greek wine history can begin without acknowledging Dionysus, the god of wine, revelry, and fertility. The Orphic Hymns, the Homeric Epics, and later Greek drama and philosophy elevate Dionysus to a status beyond mere godhood—he is the very personification of the vine itself. Ancient Greek theogonies place him among the oldest Olympians, with his cult tracing back to Thrace and Phrygia, regions rich in early viticultural evidence. The myths tell of Dionysus wandering the world, teaching mankind the secrets of winemaking, often facing opposition from mortals who sought to resist the intoxicating power of his gift.
One of the earliest recorded references to Greek viticulture is found in Homer’s Odyssey (c. 8th century BCE), where the Cyclops Polyphemus is tricked and blinded after consuming “honey-sweet wine” brought by Odysseus. This passage not only illustrates the high value placed on wine but also suggests a well-established trade in aged, complex vintages.
The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 7000 BCE – 2000 BCE)
The first concrete evidence of Greek wine culture predates even the Minoans, reaching back to the Neolithic period (c. 7000 BCE). Archaeological finds in the Franchthi Cave (Peloponnese) and at Dispilio (Kastoria, Northern Greece) suggest that early Greek societies gathered wild Vitis vinifera sylvestris grapes, likely fermenting them in rudimentary vessels.
By the early Bronze Age (c. 3500 BCE – 2000 BCE), with the development of agrarian societies, domesticated grape cultivation became a cornerstone of economic and social life. Excavations in Thessaly, Crete, and the Cyclades have unearthed wine presses, amphorae, and grape pips, indicating an increasingly sophisticated approach to viticulture. Evidence from the Dikili Tash site in Eastern Macedonia suggests that by 4300 BCE, settlers had begun cultivating domesticated grapevines, pressing them, and fermenting their juice in ceramic storage vessels—a practice resembling later Minoan and Mycenaean techniques.
The Minoan Wine Empire (c. 2000 BCE – 1600 BCE)
The Minoans of Crete, among the most advanced Bronze Age civilisations, were pioneers of large-scale viticulture. Wine production flourished under King Minos, who established vast palatial complexes at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Zakros, each featuring extensive storerooms with massive pithoi (storage jars) dedicated to wine. The frescoes of Akrotiri (Santorini) depict grape cultivation and processing, while the Linear A and Linear B scripts, the earliest forms of written Greek, contain references to wine-related trade.
One of the most important discoveries comes from Vathypetro (c. 1600 BCE), where archaeologists uncovered Europe’s oldest known wine press—a sophisticated trough-like basin used for treading grapes. This site provides undeniable evidence that Minoans engaged in organised winemaking, with surplus production intended for trade. The Minoan Thalassocracy extended Greek wine influence as far as Egypt, Cyprus, and Anatolia, establishing Crete as a major exporter of fine wines.
The Minoan wine industry was not merely economic but also religious. Wine played a ceremonial role in palace cults, with evidence suggesting ritual libations to deities. The famous Hagia Triada sarcophagus depicts figures pouring wine as an offering to the gods, reinforcing the deep spiritual significance of viticulture in ancient Crete.
The Mycenaean Expansion and the Birth of Terroir (c. 1600 BCE – 1100 BCE)
With the decline of the Minoan civilisation after the eruption of Thera (Santorini, c. 1628 BCE), the Mycenaeans—warlike peoples of mainland Greece—rose to prominence. By 1400 BCE, they had adopted and expanded Minoan wine practices, refining viticultural techniques and introducing regional differentiation, an early form of what we now recognise as terroir.
The palaces of Mycenae, Pylos, and Tiryns contained storerooms filled with amphorae, and Linear B tablets from Pylos explicitly mention wine storage, distribution, and taxation—suggesting an organised trade network that controlled viniculture. The Shipwreck of Uluburun (c. 1300 BCE), discovered off the coast of modern-day Turkey, carried hundreds of Cretan and Mycenaean amphorae, proving the export of Greek wine throughout the Mediterranean.
By this time, specific wine-producing regions were recognised for their distinctive qualities. Linear B tablets refer to “wines of Knossos” and “wines of Kythera”, demonstrating an awareness of regional variation in taste and quality—an early precursor to the appellation system that would define Greek wine for millennia to come.
Conclusion: The Birth of Greek Wine Culture
By the end of the Bronze Age (c. 1100 BCE), Greek wine culture had become firmly established. The mythology, religious ceremonies, and trade networks of the Minoans and Mycenaeans laid the groundwork for the Classical Greek era, where wine would not only flourish but become an essential pillar of society, philosophy, and identity. The next phase of Greek viticulture, from the Geometric and Archaic periods through to the Classical and Hellenistic worlds, would see the formalisation of wine drinking customs, the spread of Greek vineyards across the Mediterranean, and the establishment of wine as a marker of civilisation itself.
Coming in Part II
The Symposium: The Social and Intellectual Role of Wine in Classical Greece
The Golden Age of Viticulture: Attic, Aegean, and Ionian Wines
Greek Wine in the Roman World
This first part of the history has traced the origins of Greek wine from mythological symbolism to Bronze Age trade networks. Part II will explore how Classical Greek society structured its relationship with wine, codifying it into an institutional, intellectual, and economic force that shaped the Mediterranean world for centuries to come