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DRINKS.
93
best
Greek
wines
are
those
of the
islands
Ithaca,
Zante,
Tenos,
Samos,
Thera
(Santorin)/
and
Cyprus.
The
white
wine
of
Zante,
called
Verdea,
resembles
Madeira
in
flavour.
The
wine
of
Naxos
is
of
consider-
able
strength,
and
is
greatly
improved
by
age.
A
quantity
of
it,
known
as
Vino
Santo,
is
exported.
Andros
was
sacred
to
Dion^^sus,
and
a
tradition
(Plin.
ii.
103;
xxxi.
13;
Pans.
vi.
26)
says
that
for
seven
days
during
a
festival
of
this
god
the
waters
of
a
cer-
tain
fountain
were
changed
to
wine.
The
wine
did
no
credit to
the
god,
if
it
resembled
that
which
this
island
at
present
produces.
The
*'
Nectar"
of
Morta
is
bitter
and
astringent.
Dr.
Charnock
has
recom-
mended
the
Monthymet
as
a
good
mild
wine,
and
the
CEconomos.
A
white
wine,
called
"
tAe
wtne
of
night
I'
is
supplied
under
the
distinctive
names
of
St.
Elie
and
Calliste
;
the
latter
is
the
better.
Hungary.
The
wines
of
Hungary,
we
are
told,
"
possess
con-
siderable
body
with
a
moderate
astririgency."
The
varieties
of
wine
known
as
Ausbruch
and
Maszlacz,
compound
of
lime,
resin,
spirits
of
wine,
and
grapes,
without
body
or
flavour.
Nor
were
things
better
in
the
days
of
old.
Dugald
Dal-
getty,
a
German
Ensign,
writing
from
Athens
in
1687,
says,
"Would
that
I
could
exchange
a
cask
of
Athenian
wine
for
a
cask
of
German
beer
!
"
The
vin
du
pays
is
impregnated
with
resin
or
turpentine
now
as
formerly,
whence,
according
to
Plutarch,
the
Thyrsus
of
Bacchus
is
adorned
with a
pine
cone.
Pliny
says
it
favours
the
preservation
of
the
drink.
^
The
island
owes
this
name
to
its
patron
saint
Irene,
martyred
here
a.d.
304.