Thrace / Θράκη

Thrace (also Thrace, ancient Greek Thrakē) is located on the eastern Balkan Peninsula, which today belongs to Bulgaria (42,161 km²), Greece (8,586 km²) and Turkey (23,384 km²). Eastern Thrace is located in the European part of Turkey. The name is probably derived from its inhabitants, the Thracian people. In the oldest Greek usage, this meant the entire Balkan Peninsula without the Greek Peloponnese, later only the eastern part south of the Danube. The Greek poet Homer (8th century BC) already praised Thracian wines and Odysseus used them to defeat the one-eyed Cyclops Polyphemus.

The Greek region of Thráki lies in the north-east of the country, bordering Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the east. Here, as in the neighbouring Greek region of Macedonia to the west, mainly red wines are made from the Xinomavro grape variety, but there are no wines classified as POP. The Bulgarian region of Thrace is famous for its rose cultivation. In addition to rose oil, strong red wines are produced. Wines flavoured with rose petals used to be very popular. Hardaliye is a traditional grape juice drink from Turkish Thrace.

Map of Greece: By Pitichinaccio - own work, CC BY 3.0, Link
edited by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2/2018