Wine history in Thassos

 The vines were selfgrowing to many areas due to climate.The art of viniculture was sign of civilization .Thrace was the first known wine region.
  Thassos accepts elements of culture at the Neolithic Age from land and the art of viticulture. Then accepts cultural elements from The Phoenicians who carried the development of the then eastern civilization.
  In the 7th century in second Greek colonization, Thassos colonized by Parians and begins a rapid evolution. Begins to export culture to the opposite coast with the colonies that founded. Vyvlinos (aka wine) is produced in the colonies of Thassos at the opposite shore.

 The 5th century founds Thassos with a strong economy which is partially due to the extensive vineyards and wineries. The wines of Thassos are of excellent quality and different types. Transported in amphorae with strict capacity in the largest known markets, where they have chosen customers..
  Let us examine this period in detail. So, in order to carry the wine at the markets in containers of specific capacity they use sealed (30,5lt) amphorae. While the amphorae was still fresh, it was sealed with a stamp which had the word 'Thassian' ie 'from Thassos', some symbols, and finally the name of the potter at the beginning, and of responsible trade lord later. Thus, was known the origin and the secure volume of wine purchased by a customer. So we have the first name origin of superior quality wine.

 Legislation regulates the wine-trade, which of course is the oldest in European level. In these passages we learn that the grape purchase agreement was prohibited before the end of July to protect wine-growers. Also the importation of wines from Athos to Cape Pachys was prohibited. Alongside, fines and other procedural are mentioned.
  For the retail market in the island, were carved cavities in marble of different volumes to control the quantities sold.
  From the aforementioned seals we learn that Thassian wine was exported up to Azof  sea, on top of the black sea, to Persia, Sicily, north of the Dalmatian coast. In Athens, a city which was then at its peak, the Thassian wine was in high esteem.

 Valued for its aroma in Wealth by Aristophanes, to the women in Ekklisiazouses who knew all the sweets that were hid in the little jars of Thassos, and the companions of Lysistrati who swore on little amphorae with Thassian wine to not letting a man to approach them as long as there is war with Sparta. Thassian wine is served at the banquet of the rich Callias in honor of the beautiful Autolycus and Socrates. Then, Antisthenes uses it as a symbol of luxury.By Theophrastus we learn, that the wine offered to Rector of Thassos was flavored with honey and flour from wild wheat. The color was usually black. It was drank with an equal amount of water and many times offered and warm. Archeostratos names Thassos wine “brave”.

 In Greece, begins to indicate new wine regions with exceptional wines. Nevertheless, Thassian wine keeps its place among the first.Then the Romans got fascinated by Greek wines and started transporting wine varieties in Italy.

 Virgil, states Thassian wine between these varieties. Pliny, tells us that most varieties that were  transplanted to Italy, came from Chios and Thassos, leading us to the conclusion that Thassos had a multi-varietal vineyard.

 Polydeuces and Athenian characterize Thassian wine sweet, with aromas of plants; a  reference to sweet and dry wines.

 In Byzantine times, Thassos beset by raiding of Arabs, Slavs, Venetians, Crusaders and pirates. It's a time of stagnation rather than growth. At the end of the Byzantine era Thassos belongs to the Genoatiko house of Gatelefkon.

After the fall of Constantinople, many Constantinople families settled in Thassos which is shown by the many Byzantine name of the inhabitants of. Until 1455, when it was conquered for the first time by the Turks and stays firmly against the Turkish occupation from 1459 until 1813, except for the period 1770-1774 that was to the Russian occupation.      
 From 1813 until 1902 was in Aigyptian possession and from 1902 to 1912 was released. In those years gradually became a shift to the cultivation of olives at the expense of viticulture. Another reason for the decline of viticulture were the pirate raids of the 17 century, the repulsion of the population in the mountainous parts, and the interest all conquerors Turks, Egyptians, Russians showed towards the timber, forest products, honey and oil. In 1858 the traveler Perot referring to viticulture, writes that there were so many vineyards as about the needs of residents. The Thassian wine belongs to antiquity. However, the modern wine did not hit in the head and reminded the good French wines.
  In the 20th century, on top of what led to the shrinkage of the Thassian vineyard, phylloxera also destroyed all the vineyards of the island from 1955 to 1960. The interest in the reestablishment of vineyards was small because most of the population had more oriented towards the olive-growing, tobacco work in Kavala and migration. This created a limited number of vines, among them the Saviors’. The end of the wine-growing was written by the fires of 1985 and 1989.  
 Today the vineyards on the island are numbered and with several varieties mainly table and in small surfaces. The planting of Georgina shows interesting, a vine that arrived in Thassos via the Holy Mountain from Georgia. Is a vine with lush foliage and resistant grapes.
Our vinicultural activity is directed to produce dry and sweet wines. The Thassians, that have some quantities of grapes, use it mainly for the production of spirit.

 We established our new vineyards in the Upper Sotira at an altitude of 450-550 meters in place of the old vines. They are oriented northwest, open to the sea and surrounded by pine forest. This helps us a lot to solve the lack of water. We grow them with strict organic methods so every year we tartrate exceptional quality grapes. We produce two dry wines, red from varieties of Merlot and Lymio and white from varieties of Chardonnay and Assyrtiko. Also, we produce a semisweet white from white Muscat of Alexandria and a sweet sun-dried Muscat also from Alexandria.