Days of Wines and Rhodes

Strategically positioned between East and West, Rhodes was one of the first Greek islands to engage in the cultivation of grapes. A plethora of archaeological finds and historical artifacts attests to the importance of Rhodian amphorae in transporting wine from the island and tells us that these were distinguished from others by an engraving of a rose (rodo in Greek) or Helios, the sun god. This was a form of branding, confirming that the wine was made from Rhodian grapes, and a precursor of the Appellation of Origin system that was established centuries later in Europe. 

Helped by its strong maritime presence, Rhodes was the biggest wine exporter in the broader region as far back as the seventh century BC. The first reference we have for Rhodian wine comes from the great Attic orator Aeschines, an opponent of Demosthenes, who was exiled to Rhodes in 330 BC. In a letter bearing his name, he says that he stayed in a small house with a garden in the area of Kameiros and that his friends treated him to olive oil, honey and a wonderful wine that was far superior to that of Athens.