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FOOD & DRINK Wine | ||
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Vine
varieties of Greece have been indigenous to the country since antiquity.
In Greece more white than red wine is produced. The most popular wine is
Retsina, a wine flavoured with pine-resin, not often particularly
appreciated by foreign tourists and the younger Greek generation because
of its unusual flavour. Greek producers in their effort to give a more
modern and therefore appealing flavour to Retsina have reduced the
proportion of pine-resin in the wine.
Today our palates have been changed with the introduction of French and
Italian wines, always thought to have been superior. |
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In
today's market place you have so many differing varieties of wines from
all around the world, some good, some bad and others just mediocre,
because of this we have come to value some wines' characteristics more
than others. That special combination of bouquet, taste and aftertaste, so
much so that we complain when the wine is raw, and contains tannins which
are too many or too harsh. On numerous occasions you find this in
varieties of island wines that have been around for centuries. Today we
would never dream of adding even water to a fine vintage, never mind a
substance with such a powerful taste and smell as resin. Yet there is no
doubt at all that the ancients added both resins and water to their wines.
There must have been some powerful reasons for doing so. In the beginning
wine was added to water. The question is, why? "Wine
consistently kills a large number of bacteria, including Salmonella,
Staphylococcus and E coli, common causes of food
poisoning."
states
Dr. Connie Phillipson a consulting nutritionist with doctorates in both
archaeology and nutrition, specialising in traditional diets and metabolic
disorders. "Cholera and typhoid germs are
killed within 15 minutes of exposure to red or white wine, irrespective of
whether the wine is full strength or mixed with water."
Most
if not all Homeric heroes had their wounds washed with wine. So
which came first? Was wine added to water for sterilising purposes, for
making water safe for drinking or for dressing wounds? Today's scientists
suggest that wine today does even more, especially in the cholesterol and
heart regions of the body. But what about resins? Why were they added to
wine? Resins kill certain bacteria, and among other things prevent the
wine turning into vinegar. Resins also possess molecules that help to
soften the taste of wine. A combination that not only helped preserve the
wine, but also improved its taste believe it or not! Seeing the beneficial
effects of this mixture on external wounds that were washed with wine, it
would then seem logical that the same benefits would help the internal
organs. In Greece you are also always served a little something, no matter
how small, to eat with alcohol. Appetisers or mezedes are a great accompaniment
to retsina, which is the only
remaining resinated wine in the world. I
truly wonder why? | ||
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Kefalonian wine has a tradition spanning
centuries, even as far back as the Trojan War. The island itself has been
conquered by different nations over the years, but the one thing they
never tried to change was its wines. The Venetians, respecting them to the
degree of exploiting the island's wine, were jealous consumers indeed,
prohibiting the export of Muscat to any destination other than its
capital, Venice. |
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The
first commercial winery was started about 1850 when the French decided to
bottle local wines. Then in 1872 a British businessman expanded and
refurbished a winery and successfully exported wines, mainly to Germany.
Of course the war years put an abrupt end to this and the untold damage
caused by the 1953 earthquake destroyed any hopes of advancement until the
booming 60's. | ||
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For
the visitor that wants to taste Kefalonian wines produced by Kefalonian
wineries, below is a list in alphabetical order, all have their own
wineries and vineyards on Kefalonia. | ||
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The wineries of 'Calliga' and 'Manzavino' ceased to exist and
whatever wine is around with that brand name is either old stock or
produced by non Kefalonian wineries who are paying royalties for certain
labels e.g. Calliga 'Ruby', 'Montenero', 'Blanc des Blancs' and 'Rose' are
produced by 'Kourtakis' near
Athens, one of the biggest wineries in Europe. The Laguna trademark buys
Robola from the Cooperative of Robola grape growers SIROKE and markets this as Robola,
sold in a tall blue bottle, costing considerably more than the Cooperative
Robola in the hessian sack. The other 'Laguna wines' are produced and
bottled by wineries in the Peloponnese. |
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Robola
Of Kefalonia (Dry White): Robola
is the wine of the island and can only gain this entitlement when produced
from grapes grown in seven legally defined areas in the southern-central
regions of the island.
Tsaoussi White: A
most pleasant white wine produced in many areas of Kefalonia. Mavrodaphine Sweet
Red: This
dark red
liqueur wine was once the favoured drink of the Venetians and is an
excellent after dinner wine. |
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The Greeks' love for this spirit is renowned
worldwide, it symbolises the Greek way of life. The difference between the
various brands is due to the type of aniseed found in each region and the
supplement used to enrich and enhance the flavour such as fennel,
cardamom, cinnamon flowers or coriander. These pleasant aromas also go
into cooking breads, biscuits and more traditional dishes and casseroles.
In some regions caraway is used instead of anise. The one thing you should
'not do' to be authentic is
drink your Ouzo or Tsipouro on its own. In the typical kafenion you will
always be served your glass of neat brew with ice and water separate,
along with a small plate of appetisers known in Greece as 'mezedes'. These usually consist of a
small amount of cheese, sometimes meat, always tomato, cucumber and
olives, even sometimes chips. In bars however you're given the modern day
peanuts. |
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