Ariousios and the Homeric wine
The travellers wanted to connect Ariousios Oinos with Homer, the greatest poet of all time. In Chios, they asked to identify his grave and thought that he should have been born in the place of production of the famous wine of Antiquity. This they thought would have inspired the immortal verses, to praise the “cleansing of men and gods”. This they believed would have contributed to the elevation of his genius. A circle of intellectuals would have cultivated the theory of the existence of “Homer’s Wine” or “Homer’s Nectar” or “Homer’s Vine”, as it was called. The birth of the poet in Chios was something that flattered the Chians immensely and there were constant and intense quarrels with many other cities over this issue. The residents of Chios offered the travellers their fine wine and accompanied their offer with the reminder that
this was the wine that Homer had tasted in the old days and had called it “sparkling aethopa wine”.
The Myth & The Story
According to the Chian historian of antiquity Theopompos, Oinopion, who was considered the son of the god Dionysus, taught the Chians to plant and cultivate vines and produce “black wine”, one of the most remarkable and famous products produced by Chios in antiquity.
The geographer Strabo was the first to define the area of Ariousia Chora with great accuracy. He places it between Mount Pelinaeus and the “Melain edge”. According to these data, Ariousia Chora is located in an area of the north-western part of Chios, where the mountain of Amani dominates, which in modern times was a wine-producing area, with the production of excellent
wine quality, particularly in the area of Kourounia. “Nectar of the gods” is what poets called it, “Homeric wine” is what travellers in modern times called it. The Romans, along with the lights of Greek civilization, “took” Ariousios wine, and its reputation continued during the Byzantine period. It has been widely used in medicine and is referred to as an effective medicine, especially in stomach ailments.
The Cultivation
In the approximately 90 acres of privately owned vineyards of the company, spread on the slopes of Mount Amani, around the small settlements, the local grape varieties are cultivated. Chiotiko and Agiannitis for the reds and Bigleri for the whites, as well as the excellent Aegean wines Athiri and Assyrtiko. It is important that, on the occasion of the establishment of the winery, more
300 hectares of vineyards are cultivated in the surrounding areas and the rest of Chios by private growers and with the provision of expertise by the company.
The Winery
The winery of ARIUSIOS S.A. is located in the location “Sofou”, in the settlement of Egrigoros in NW Chios, about 59 km from the town of Chios and is built in a privileged position overlooking the vast Aegean Sea.
It first opened in 2008. Its current capacity is 150 tons of wine and its capacity is for 300 tons. It is constructed in a modern way, on three levels, including the basement ageing room. Since 2016, it has the “Visiting Winery” label. Visitors can tour the wine production areas, go down to the cellars with the oak barrels and see a small collection of traditional agricultural tools and objects. There is also a retail shop selling wine and wine-related items. It can be visited in all productive areas all weekends in winter and in the summer months, July and August, every day.
The Taste Space
The “Arisia Chora” tasting and wine tasting room operates in the area of the winery. Here the visitor can watch audiovisual material about the history of the place and the wine, taste our wines combined with local delicacies and enjoy a hospitable environment, as in front of him the excellent view of the landscape of Northwest Chios.
