Greece is a country with endless natural beauty, endowed land, glorious history, rich and long past. Wine held a special place in all aspects of the life of the ancient Greeks. Historical references link it to everyday life and to great events throughout the centuries. Wine accompanied meals of honour, was the star of ancient Greek banquets and was an important supply for military campaigns. Its most important distinction was the identity given to it according to the region it came from. It was a forerunner of the current Protected Designation of Origin.
LINK WITH THE PAST: ACANTHUS WINE & IERIS OINOS
As Mr. Angelos Zamanis, director of Domaine Agrovision, explains, “Akanthios Oinos”, the wine of ancient Akanthos, modern Ierissos in Halkidiki, was not just a wine. It was the wine that, according to legend, Xerxes asked to taste during the opening of the homonymous canal in the third leg of Halkidiki during the Persian wars. It was the wine that the Persian king drank before the battle of Thermopylae. It was the apple of discord between the Athenians and Spartans, as Thucydides mentions, during the Peloponnesian War. It was also the wine that the ancient philosopher Athenian mentions in his work ‘Dipnosophytes’ and accompanied the banquets of the ancient Greeks. The estate, wishing to link the past with the present by emphasizing the localness, gave the name “Ieris Oinos” to its finest red wine coming from Ierissos.
DOMAINE AGROVISION & WINE TOURISM
The revival of “Akanthios Wine” – one of the greatest wine brands of the ancient world – is being carried out by a new winery, Domaine Agrovision, based in Ierissos, Halkidiki, the once ancient Akanthos. The winery in collaboration with the travel company “Aristotle’s Paths” have mapped out the “Road of Akanthios Wine”. More specifically, they have created a walking route that starts from the port of Ierissos, stops at ancient Akanthos and ends at the throne of Xerxes and the vineyards of Domaine Agrovision. A tasting follows with a view of the island of Ammouliani and Mount Athos. As you can understand, in addition to the delightful tasting, participants travel back in time with Akanthi Wine which conveys culture and history.
GET TO KNOW THE WINES THROUGH 750ML WINEDERFUL IDEAS
This original wine walk is an action that aims to promote the history of “Akanthios Wine” and the culture of the region in general. The tastings with Domaine Agrovision wines, such as the red Ieris Oinos, the white and rosé “20” and the Amouliani, combined with local products make the whole walk a unique tasting and cultural experience. It should be noted that a limited number of bottles of the estate’s flagship, “Ieris Oinos” are aged underwater and underground (!). The wine shop “750ml Winederful Ideas” has scheduled horizontal tastings of the flagship label subjected to these aging methods. Already available in the physical store is the aged ’17 vintage as well as the other award-winning labels from the pione.
