Greece: Modern history

The centuries of domination by the Ottoman Turks were to blight Greek viticulture and winemaking until well into the 20th century. Winemaking was not normally forbidden to the Christian population, but communication difficulties resulted in a localized peasant industry viewed by the Turkish rulers as a useful means of raising revenue through taxation. Thus, while france, for example, was developing fine-wine regions and their markets, Greece remained in what might be termed the vinous Dark Ages.