Imagine yourself on the gorgeous Greek island of Simi, relaxing in the sunset with a glass of rich-bodied red wine in your hand. On one side is the glittering ocean and rolling waves, while on the other are countless local vineyards.
Or maybe you’re sitting with your friends and family, enjoying an evening meal of roasted meats and vegetables with a local wine as the perfect accompaniment. These incredible experiences can tie you back thousands of years, to the Ancient Greeks who would’ve lived a very similar experience, choosing to enjoy their local food and wine with those closest to them.
Incredibly, many of these ancient wine presses are still visible today, with over 120 different presses located on the island of Simi. If you’d like to learn more about these incredible feats of human engineering, keep reading.
Discovering Ancient Wine Presses
There are many ancient wine presses you can visit across Greece, typically found in more historic regions. Beginning with the worship of Dionysus, the Greek God of wine-making, fruit, fertility, and theatre (to name a few), wine-making has an extensive tradition in Greece. In fact, there are numerous surviving ancient texts that list a wide variety of wines, highlighting how popular the practice was.
You may be surprised to learn that, depending on the area, some ancient wine presses were carved into the soft limestone. Farmers would then place their grapes into the centre of a large stone circle and squeeze them with their feet.
But rather than simply reading about them, we urge you to explore these wonderful historic sites for yourself. You may even want to embark on a guided tour to gain a deeper understanding of the rich history behind wine-making.
Tasting Heritage in Modern Vineyards
While it’s impossible to try wine exactly as it would have tasted, many vineyards near ancient presses offer wine tastings. Many of these incredible vineyards still use traditional methods, allowing you to gain an understanding of what ancient wine may have been like.
Typically, a wine’s flavour comes from the type of grape, the region’s soil, and the local climate. Since these three elements have remained largely consistent in certain areas, it’s possible to get a fairly accurate recreation, especially in wineries that still use traditional methods.
Connecting Past and Present
But booking last-minute holidays to Greece to explore ancient wine presses is more than just a sightseeing trip. It’s a way to truly immerse yourself in a key aspect of Greek culture and heritage, exploring a tradition that stretches back thousands of years.
As you explore these ancient traditions, you can learn how history has influenced modern wine-making and why certain wineries choose to use traditional or modern methods.