Greek wine was mixed before the use with water and then out of a vase, the so-called Kratiras drunk. The name of this vase is derived from the Greek word for wine, Krasi, which today is the common word for wine in the Greek language. The first references to the Greek wine production have been found in the middle of the third century BC on Crete. Many remarkable insights into the culture of Greek wine found in the Minoan town Myrtos in the vicinity of Ierapetra. Ton presses, wine vases, amphorae and wine seeds were found in different places of Crete, and show the cultural importance, which had Greek wine in the Greece of antiquity.
Tombstone finds on Crete dating from between 3000 and 3200 b.c. portray wine presses, and the possibly oldest wine presses in the world was found in the ruins of Vathypetro located near the village of Archanes. Numerous well-preserved wine vessels, which were found in the warehouses of the Palace of King Minos at Knossos are among the most amazing discoveries. The sudden disappearance of the Minoan civilization to 1600 before Christ is attributed to the massive volcanic explosion of the Aegean island of Santorini. Greek wine in the Mycenaean civilization existed from 1600 to 1100 BC the Mycenaean civilization in the Centre of the Peloponnese to mainland Greece and was the next important historical civilization which followed the Minoan era. Among the numerous archeological finds from this time, gold and silver wine goblets, which provide clear evidence of this, are that the Mycenaean were Greeks not only superb warriors, but a sophisticated culture valued decreed, and Greek wine, and respected. Nestor is the famous Golden Chalice of the King among the discoveries from this period. In a Mycenaean Tomb found by Schliemann, this Cup was first mentioned by Homer in the Iliad. The legendary Trojan war took place during the Mycenaean era.