Dionysos and the Greek wine influence

Did you know that much of the modern wine culture derives from the practices of the ancient Greeks? Wine was known to both the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. Dionysos was the Greek god of wine and revelry, and wine was frequently referred to in the works of Homer and Aesop. Dionysos not only represented the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. Dionysos was commonly known as Bacchus. In Homeric myths wine is usually served in \"mixing bowls\"; it was not traditionally drunk straight. It was thought to be referred to as \"Juice of the Gods.\"

\n\nToday many of the grapes grown in Greece are grown nowhere else, and are similar or identical to varieties grown in ancient times. In addition, the popular modern Greek wine, retsina, is believed to be a carryover from when wine jugs were lined with tree resin and imparted a distinct flavor to the wine. Pictured above is Bacchus by the artist Caravaggio.