The Village, its Vineyards and its PeopleIn central Greece and not far from the oracle of Delphi and the monastery of Osios Loukas--two world-renowned tourist destinations-- there lays Distomo, a farming village, my village. Historians remind us that the degree to which communities and nations develop depends largely on their geography and climate. Distomo in that respect is blessed. Nested at more than 400 meters above sea level between mountains, allows the sea breezes and the brisk and cold northwestern winds to traverse the village. Its soil is rich and well-drained. Its winters are cold and snowy; the springs wet and windy; the summers sunny, hot and dry but the evenings always cool. The fall doesn't arrive till late September or early October. Perfect weather to grow grapes and make wine. And that exactly what the folks in the village have been doing for more than twenty five hundred years.
When I was growing up, almost every household had a vineyard in the scarce but excellent land to the east and north of the village. But that wasn't enough for most families. If there was a small space in the back yard or by the balcony, there would certainly be a climbing vine present there. Whenever possible the this vine would form a canopy that would offer both shade andplenty of grapes to eat. We had one of those vines in our home and I would eagerly watch it in the spring as it was budding and later as the flowers turned into pin-head size grapes. When the grapes began to ripen and turn into a brilliant red color, my mouth would water in anticipation of the day when I could slowly crush them between my teeth and taste their sweetness.
For more on the Wines of Distomo go to my website The Wine Cellar.
When I was growing up, almost every household had a vineyard in the scarce but excellent land to the east and north of the village. But that wasn't enough for most families. If there was a small space in the back yard or by the balcony, there would certainly be a climbing vine present there. Whenever possible the this vine would form a canopy that would offer both shade andplenty of grapes to eat. We had one of those vines in our home and I would eagerly watch it in the spring as it was budding and later as the flowers turned into pin-head size grapes. When the grapes began to ripen and turn into a brilliant red color, my mouth would water in anticipation of the day when I could slowly crush them between my teeth and taste their sweetness.
For more on the Wines of Distomo go to my website The Wine Cellar.
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