The history of Greek wine in Athens

The holiday location of Greece is a fantastic destination for wine lovers, which can often be traced back to the history of Greek wine in Athens. With its varied terrain, warm climate, fertile soil and dynamic approach to winemaking, Greece is the ideal location for exploring fine wines. Add in the country’s rich historical traditions and you have a great opportunity to explore the local wine culture.

Athens, the capital city, is usually visited by millions of tourists each year, making it by far one of the top 100 most popular tourist destinations in the world. Considered to be the birthplace of civilisation, Athens is famed for its spectacular ancient monuments and rich history. Visit this city and you can find plenty of exciting food and wine experiences, helping you to uncover the world of Greek wine, including its history and culture.

Why explore the history of Greek wine in Athens?

With history around every corner, the Greek capital is an excellent location for discovering the history of Greek wine. Steeped in culture and surrounded by ancient marvels like the Parthenon and the Acropolis, it’s the perfect backdrop for sampling delicious new wines and learning more about the fascinating wine history and traditions of the country.

Unlike many other parts of the world, Greece is able to cultivate hundreds of varieties of grapes. This unique characteristic means the country produces a diverse range of wines, giving wine-lovers a vast amount of delicious options to try. For anyone who wants to immerse themselves in learning about wine and history, Athens is a must-visit destination.

With more spectacular ancient sites just a short journey away, as well as ample local villages and wineries, Athens is also an excellent base for wine tours that explore beyond the city. Combining a wine tasting experience with a tour of a historic site helps you to really immerse yourself in Greek tradition and discover village life - and that’s just one of the ways you can experience the intriguing history of wine in the country.

Thousands of years of history

Greek wine is integral to Greek history, with Greeks cultivating domesticated vines since the second half of the fifth millennium BC. Many archaeological discoveries indicate that wine has been important in Greek culture for more than 4,000 years. Over thousands of years, wine production flourished throughout the country with production techniques developing continually. In Ancient Greece, red wine became intimately linked to the concept of civilisation, and such was the prevalence of wine culture at the time that it inspired the Romans, who adopted it too.

In Ottoman times many Greek vineyards were abandoned and this continued when Greece was hit by phylloxera, a root eating pest, in 1898. In the 19th century, Greece also faced a wine-making crisis because of significant demand for exports. However, the industry gradually recovered and Greek wine and wine tourism have been growing steadily since the 1970s. The Greek wine industry now has leading technology as well as skilled and passionate winemakers, making it a wine producer of note once again. There’s no better time to explore the delicious flavours and vivid history of wine in Greece.

Ways to explore Greek wine

Athens has plenty of fantastic dining experiences waiting for you if you’re passionate about wine. You can taste delicious local wines at virtually any bar, but there are also fascinating opportunities to dig deeper into the culture, history, and production of wine in the area. Whether you want to sample the capital’s lively nightlife or prefer to be immersed in history and heritage, there’s a Greek wine experience that you’ll enjoy. These are just some of the ways you can explore the history of Greek wine in Athens with a wine tour or wine experience.

Historical tours

Spend a day outside of the city to explore spectacular ancient sites on a guided historical tour. Combining history and tradition alongside a winery tour and tasting, these experiences are a great way to delve into Greece’s fascinating history, as well as learn about contemporary approaches to producing wine. Historical tours can vary in duration but exploring wine and history with a full day experience is a great way to take a day away from Athens and discover more of what the Greek wine scene has to offer. Combined with lunch or mezze, a full day historical tour is an educated and enjoyable wine adventure.

City centre tastings

What better location in Athens to relax and take in its stunning sights than beneath the world-famous Acropolis? In a comfortable bar with a social atmosphere, a local wine expert will guide you through the wine regions of Greece, discussing how the grapes and terrain have led to such a diverse variety of wines being produced.

You’ll discover the country’s five basic grape varieties and experience the unforgettable flavours of Greek wines. If you love relaxing with wine and delicious local cheeses and snacks, topped off with stunning views of Athens and a fascinating insight into natively produced wines, an experience like this will be unforgettable.

Night tours

To discover more about Greek wine alongside enjoying the bustle of Athens at night, a nighttime wine and food tour with an expert local guide is a great choice. This is also a great option if you want to sample Greek wine alongside a variety of other culinary traditions.

Enjoy delicious mezze, street food, and the popular spirit Ouzo as you explore the city streets before sampling a number of different wines at a cosy local bar. If you want to understand life in contemporary Athens, as well as discover its significant wine culture, a nighttime food tour with plenty of drinks and snacks is a fantastic way to dive deeper.

Athens Food and Drink Experiences

If you’re looking for a memorable tour for learning all there is to know about the history of Greek wine in Athens, tabl. has plenty to offer. Browse our Athens food and drink experiences now and discover top wine tastings, wine tours and activities in Athens, as well as other destinations throughout the world.

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