As a wine-producing country Greece no longer maintains the reputation which she enjoyed in ancient or even in comparatively modern times. "With a climate admirably adapted to the culture of the grape, the area devoted to that purpose has steadily diminished. Among the causes which have contributed to this result are the impoverished condition of the soil of large tracts, formerly well wooded and watered, and the rude systems of viticulture in general use. With the destruction of its ancient forests parts of the country are gradually becoming an arid desert; and desolating wars, brigandage, and other internal troubles have combined to restrict the development of its agricultural resources. In consequence, the production of wine in Greece, which was still considerable during the Venetian supremacy in the 15th and 16th centuries, has dwindled to a comparatively insignificant amount. In like manner vinification has deteriorated to such a degree as to make Greek wines compare disadvantageously with those produced in much less favored localities. They contain, as a rule, a large amount of acetic acid, and many of them are rapidly converted into vinegar.

To prevent this result various primitive practices are resorted to, such as smoking with wood smoke or vapor of resins, pitching the barrels, or adding gypsum, chalk, salt, etc, which render many of the wines unpalatable. - The country lying between the Turkish frontier and the isthmus of Corinth produces comparatively little wine of repute, the principal vineyards being near Lepanto, Chaeronea, and Megara, and on the slopes of Mt. Poliguna. The plain surrounding Mt. Hymettus, in the neighborhood of Athens, yields a wine which has been favorably mentioned by European connoisseurs. The Morea or ancient Peloponnesus, notwithstanding many disturbing causes, continues to produce considerable quantities of wine, of which that made near Pergos, amounting to about 1,500,000 gallons annually, is esteemed the best. Nauplia, called also Napoli di Malvasia, situated on the gulf of Nauplia, is noted as the place whence the Malvasia or malmsey wines derived their name. The vineyards suffered greatly during the Greek war of independence, and are now of little value.

The islands of the Greek archipelago, and those in the Mediterranean colonized by the Greeks, were in ancient times more famous for their wines than the mainland, and their superiority in that respect is fully maintained at the present day. Of the islands of the archipelago, Santorin, the ancient Thera, is the most luxuriant. It is of volcanic origin, forming an imperfect ring, with the crater filled by the sea. The external slopes furnish the wine lands, and every available piece of soil is under cultivation. The wines produced are white and red. The best red growth, known as Santorin, partakes of the nature of both port and claret, and is highly esteemed. Among the white varieties are the Thera, and a wine called the "wine of the night," of which two qualities are known to commerce, the Caliste and St. Elie, both rich and full-bodied. There is also a fragrant muscadine wine, known as the vino santo, and an amber-colored variety called the "wine of Bacchus." All of these wines doubtless preserve many of the qualities which made them acceptable to the civilized nations of antiquity.

In ordinary seasons the island produces from 10,000 to 11,000 pipes, most of which goes to Russia. Next in importance are the yields of Zea (Ceos), Scio (Chios), Tenedos, and Samos, all but the first of which belong to Turkey. The Samian wine, notwithstanding the eulogistic allusion to it in Byron's verses, was considered by the ancients scarcely equal to the produce of some of the other islands. At the present day Tenedos is wholly devoted to the culture of the grape; its annual production is about 1,400,000 gallons, which is exported to Constantinople, Smyrna, and Russia, and is the common table wine of the Orient. The Ionian islands produce a considerable amount of dry and sweet wines. Those of Corfu are light and delicate, and those of Ithaca rich and luscious. All the wines of this group are plastered. The growths of Crete, Rhodes, and Cyprus, although Turkish dependencies, also come under the head of Greek wines. Crete, famous in ancient times for the abundance and excellence of her wines, is still a large producer, and for centuries her specialty has been Malvasia, the white sweet wine once universally drunk in western Europe under the name of malmsey.

During the Venetian supremacy Crete and Cyprus supplied Europe with their choicest dessert wines, and the export of the former is said to have amounted to 200,000 casks annually. The principal vineyards are near Canea, Kisamos, Sphakia, and Candia. The wines of Cyprus are of three classes. The first consists of the wines of the commandery of the knights templars, made in the neighborhood of ancient Paphos, and which have a bouquet resembling the flavor of bitter almonds, said to be communicated to them by spices; the second is a sweet muscat, and the third a common wine, at first pale red, but which becomes colorless with time. These wines are fermented and matured in earthen vessels which preserve the shape of the ancient amphorae. The vintage of the island has declined to less than a fifth of its production two centuries ago. Rhodes produces sweet and luscious wines from grapes of the size of plums.