Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Thracian Wine Treasures


Thracian Wine Treasures

Who were the Thracians? – The Thracians were a mysterious group of tribes who occupied the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. They spoke an Indo-European language. Numerous theories about their appearance on the European cultural map and later extinction/assimilation exist. One theory indicates that the Thracians were the original inhabitants of ancient lands many millennia ago, another relates them to the tribes in West Asia and others go even as far as China. One thing is for certain – the Thracians left a deep mark on the cultural development of the European civilization. They influenced both the Greek and Roman cultures and it is even believed that a great share of the Greek and Roman gods and mythology is impacted by the Thracian beliefs and rituals.
The Thracians were famous for three main things: waging war, making exquisite jewelry and producing wine.

Thracians’ cultural heritage in the area of wine-making, wine traditions and rituals drift through the ages and is evidenced by many ancient authors starting with Homer. The Homeric epics depict Thracians as brave and handsome men who fight on chariots richly decorated with gold and silver, carry “weapons of gold, huge and wondrous, and ride horses as fleet as the blasts of wind, and who also make and drink fine wine in beautiful cups”. Considering the special ritual value of wine in ancient Thrace, it becomes clear why so many precious vessels have been found. More than 180 gold phialae (wine cups), or more than half of those discovered in the whole ancient world, were found in Thracian territory. Many of them are decorated with figure of merry god of wine Dionysus. This no doubt highly developed wine culture is represented by many other archeological monuments:  plates, bas-reliefs, vessels and coins decorated with vine and wine motifs have been found all over the Thracian Valley.

Nowadays the successors of the old Thracian masters of wine produce brilliant, charactful, self-confident wines that are perhaps the best kept secret in the wine world! Older than the old world and bolder than the New one, the present day Thracian wines are modern classic, innovative, fashionable and most importantly very enjoyable! So we believe the time is not far when the world wine drinking public, fed up of the traditional offers, will direct their interests to a somewhat different wine born in the land of Homer’s Thrace.
Some of these amazing Thracian wines will soon be tasted in USA thanks to the New Wines of Ancient Thrace, EU funded promotional campaign of the Bulgarian Wine Export Association.
New Wines of Ancient Thrace

mail: niforou@oinorama.com, mob: +359 885 731 331



Cheers,

Luiz Alberto (on behalf of Galina Niforou, BWEA chairwoman)
  • Master of Wine candidate (former)
  • Italian Wine Ambassador
  • I combine my passion for wine with social media

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