Greek Wine Cellars, formerly known as Kourtaki Wines, is a large Greek wine producer. Its brands include Kourtaki, Apelia, Calliga, and Kouros. As of 2005 [update] , it sold 3.2 million cases of wine per year, about half in Greece and half abroad. [1]
Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world and among the first wine-producing territories in Europe. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago where wine was produced on a household or communal basis. In ancient times, as trade in wine became extensive, it was transported from end to end of the Mediterranean; Greek wine had especially high prestige in Italy under the Roman Empire. In the medieval period, wines exported from Crete, Monemvasia and other Greek ports fetched high prices in northern Europe.
The company was founded in 1895 by Vassilis Kourtakis, one of the first Greeks to formally study oenology. For the first part of its history it focused on retsina shipped in bulk to tavernas around the country. At Vassilis's retirement, the company was taken over by his son, Dimitris Kourtakis, who had studied oenology in Dijon, France. Dimitris introduced a line of bottled Kourtaki retsina, initially in 500-mL bottle-cap-topped bottles, and later also in 750-mL cork-topped bottles. This became very popular during the 1960s and 1970s; at its peak it was selling 60 million bottles per year, and propelled the company to market dominance. [1]
Oenology is the science and study of wine and winemaking; distinct from viticulture, the agricultural endeavours of vine-growing and of grape-harvesting. The English word oenology derives from the word oinos, "wine" (οἶνος) and the suffix –logia "study of" (-λογία) from the Ancient Greek language. An oenologist is an expert in the fields comprehended by the "Viticulture and Oenology" designation for oenology-training programmes and research centres that include schooling, training, and education in the outdoor and indoors aspects of wine and the making of wine.
Retsina is a Greek white resinated wine, which has been made for at least 2,000 years. Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Aleppo Pine resin in ancient times. Before the invention of impermeable glass bottles, oxygen caused many wines to spoil within the year. Pine resin helped keep air out, while infusing the wine with resin aroma. The Romans began to use barrels in the 3rd century AD, removing any oenological necessity for resin, but the flavor itself was so popular that the style is still widespread today.
A taverna is a small Greek restaurant that serves Greek cuisine. The taverna is an integral part of Greek culture and has become familiar to people from other countries who visit Greece, as well as through the establishment of tavernes in countries such as the United States and Australia by expatriate Greeks.
Dimitri's son, Vassilis Kourtakis, took over on his father's retirement, and began diversifying the company into styles other than retsina, partly as a result of the downturn in retsina's popularity. As part of this process, he introduced a number of new brands alongside the Kourtaki brand. Apelia was introduced as a line of low-cost table wines, while Kouros was introduced as a high-end brand (it became the first Greek wine featured on a non-Greek airline's wine list when Lufthansa added it). The company also purchased several other wine producers during this period, including Calliga of Kefalonia. To emphasize that the company had a wider set of offerings than the Kourtaki brand, Vassilis changed its name in the early 1990s from Kourtaki Wines to Greek Wine Cellars. [1]
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG , commonly known as Lufthansa, is the largest German airline and, when combined with its subsidiaries, also the largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from the German word Luft "air" and Hansa, the Hanseatic League. Lufthansa is one of the five founding members of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance, formed in 1997.
