22 December 2025

The proceedings of the three-day training seminar, co-organized by the Rhodes School of Tourist Guides of the Ministry of Tourism, the Union of Winemakers and Winegrowers of the Aegean Islands, and the Association of Licensed Tourist Guides of the Dodecanese, were successfully completed. The seminar was entitled:
“Wine and wine tradition in the islands of the Aegean Sea from antiquity to the present day – Wine tasting & visitable wineries of the Aegean Islands.”

The seminar was addressed to tourist guides active in the islands of the Aegean Sea, as well as graduates and students of the Rhodes School of Tourist Guides.

1st Thematic Section of the training seminar – Thursday, 18.12.2025

During the opening remarks, greetings were delivered by the Mayor of Rhodes, Mr. Alexandros Koliadis, and the representative of the Dodecanese Chamber, Ms. Maritana Alakiotou Anthopoulou. Written greetings were sent by the Members of Parliament for the Dodecanese, Ms. Tsambika Iatridi and Mr. Georgios Nikitiadis. A congratulatory letter was also sent by the Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development of the Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Vasiliki Koutsoukou.

Subsequently, an original collective research study was presented, focusing on wine and wine tradition in the islands of the Aegean Sea from antiquity to the present day. The study was prepared by instructors of the Rhodes School of Tourist Guides specializing in archaeology and history.

Specifically, the following presentations were delivered:
– by Ms. Anna Kalaitzaki, PhD in Prehistoric Archaeology, the independent chapter entitled: “Wine in the prehistoric Aegean: archaeobotanical and archaeological evidence”,
– by Mr. Ioannis Bardanis, PhD in Archaeology, and Ms. Tsambika Afantenou, MSc in Applied Archaeological Sciences, the independent chapter entitled: “Viticulture and wine production in the islands of the Aegean during historical times, from the Geometric to the Roman period”,
– by Mr. Nektarios Zarras, PhD in Byzantine Archaeology, Professor at the Department of Mediterranean Studies of the University of the Aegean, the independent chapter entitled: “Wine and vine-growing and winemaking production in Byzantine island Greece, with emphasis on the Dodecanese”,
– by Ms. Sofia Grigoriadou, MSc in History, the independent chapter entitled: “Wine production in the islands of the Aegean during the Ottoman period: continuities, transformations and oenocultural interactions”,
– by Mr. Ilias Makrygiannis, MSc in History and PhD candidate in History, the independent chapter entitled: “Viticulture and wine tradition in the Dodecanese through the pages of the Dodecanese Chronicles”.

2nd Thematic Section of the training seminar – Friday, 19.12.2025

On the second day, the President of the Union of Winemakers and Winegrowers of the Aegean Islands and President of the National Council of Wine Tourism, Ms. Mary Triantafyllopoulou, presented the national strategies for the development of wine tourism and provided a detailed briefing on visitable wineries and the “Wine Routes”.

This was followed by basic wine tasting courses delivered by sommelier Ms. Lemonia Panagakou, using products from members of the Union of Winemakers and Winegrowers of the Aegean Islands. The courses were held in a specially designed and equipped space, and participants attended the training in two groups.

3rd Thematic Section of the training seminar – Saturday, 20.12.2025

On the third day, information was provided on the viticulture and winemaking communities operating in the islands of the Aegean Sea and on the visitable wineries of the Union of Winemakers and Winegrowers of the Aegean Islands.

The winery “Ktima Akrani”, based on the island of Kos, was presented by its owner, Ms. Mary Triantafyllopoulou, President of the Union of Winemakers and Winegrowers of the Aegean Islands and President of the National Council of Wine Tourism. In addition, via online connection, direct briefings and discussions were held with:
– Mr. Giannis Lamprou on the visitable winery “Methymnaion”, based on the island of Lesvos,
– Ms. Ioanna Vamvakouri on the visitable winery “Mikra Thira”, based on the island of Thirasia,
– Mr. Vaptistis Moraitis on the visitable winery “Vaptistis”, based on the island of Tinos,
– Ms. Margarita Ikariou, Marketing and Communications Manager of the Unified Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos, on the visitable winery of the EOSS Samos.

The presentations and briefings were held in the multi-purpose hall “Xenios Zeus”, at the premises hosting the Rhodes School of Tourist Guides and the ASTE of Rhodes of the Ministry of Tourism. The wine tasting courses were implemented in the appropriately equipped and configured multi-purpose hall of the SAEC of Tourism of the South Aegean of the Ministry of Tourism, with the assistance of students and trained staff.

Participants expressed sustained interest throughout the duration of the training seminar, which highlighted the multi-layered dimension of the activities of viticulture and winemaking communities—activities with centuries-old history and tradition.

The conclusions of the proceedings demonstrate the decisive role of the tourist guide, who is called upon to offer scientifically documented cultural interpretation, highlighting that a bottle of wine constitutes a bearer of memory and knowledge and a testimony to tradition, craftsmanship and care.

The implementation of the seminar created fertile ground for the development of systematic collaborations, aiming at more comprehensive education and training of tourist guides in the fields of wine tourism, as well as the promotion of the rich history of wine culture in the islands of the Aegean Sea and in our country more broadly.