The moonlit and packed Castle of Rio was on Wednesday night the ideal setting for the musical performance “Wine and Love”, marking the pre-start of this year’s “Oinoxenia” festival which, for the 11th year, serves the purpose of creating and developing culture and culture with the main axis being the fine wines of Aegialia.
Crowds of people from the wider area of Patras and Achaia filled the magnificent area of the Castle, which as a timeless symbol is a crossroads of culture, people and culture and unites North and South Greece, Patras and the Gulf of Corinth, it is a bridge between East and West .
In his greeting, the Deputy Regional Governor P.E. Mr. Fokion Zaimis of Achaia spoke about the importance of wine as an element inextricably linked to the culture of the region, congratulating the winegrowers who, in addition to being workers of labor and land, are also workers of culture. “This is precisely what the “Oinoxenia” Festival, which from this year opens throughout Achaia, with its heart and core in Aegialia, highlights, Mr. Zaimis noted. For his part, the Deputy Mayor of Technical Works and Development, Mr. Vassilis Christopoulos, in his speech emphasized that the “Wine Fairs” are not just a simple cultural event but can and should be a development festival that will unite all productive sectors and travel at national and European level, since it reflects the local people’s love for the landscapes and flavors of Aegialia and wishes to transfer this love to those who visit it. Finally, the president of the “Iter Vitis” program of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, Mrs. Emanuela Panke, spoke with particular emotion about the inclusion of the Municipality of Aegialia as an official member of “Iter Vitis”, as the “Wine Tours” exactly represent the goals of the program which wishes to promote the wines of Europe not only as products but as cultural elements and part of the culture of each wine-producing region.
Next came music and poetry. The work “Wine and Love” by the Aegean composer Sakis Papadimitriou with ancient lyrical poetry set to music, includes songs about Dionysus and Aphrodite, by Anacreon, Sappho, Alkaios and other lyricists who gave birth to Theater and were heard in ancient Greek theaters, traveling and subsequently influencing the entire Western Civilization, will be heard 2,500 years later in a performance with a special charge, which make it a unique cultural event of pan-Hellenic scope. They were performed by the great Vassilis Lekkas with the participation of Elena Leonis, together with the “Idyphono” orchestra (the artistic ensemble of the Aegis Music Workshop), while the texts of Maria Panagiotakopoulos were narrated by Danai Kalachora, Ioanna Stefanatou and Charitini Charitonidis.
The “Oinoxenia” Festival thanks everyone who honored the pre-start with their presence at the Castle of Rio, with special reference to the members of the volunteer groups “Achaios EOPP”, Association of Volunteer Firefighters of N. Achaia and LEFED Achaia who offered the their services.
THE PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
Saturday, August 24, is rich in interest according to the program of the Festival “Wine Excursions 2024: Bridges Vineyards”.
On the occasion of the opening of the exhibition “Message in a bottle”, by the art graduate of the School of Fine Arts of Florence, Alessandro de Martino, on the morning of Saturday 24 August from 10:00-12:00, a painting workshop will be held at the Old Slaughterhouses of the Aegean (FAME Road HUB). Participants will craft messages on wine bottles.
“And what is wine but a bottled message of the vine to man, the warmest embrace of earth and heaven? And the art? An ark of hope traveling in its own transparent wagon perpetually upon the face of the earth. Like unbridled wine, the whispers of a brush on canvas are sincere and unadulterated because both spring from the secret ferments of a servant of beauty.”
On Saturday afternoon the exhibition opens its gates to the public at 7:00 pm. A few words about the history of the bottle and its role in wine will be spoken by the president of the Wine Network, Mr. Angelos Rouvalis. Mary Zaharakis will give a small introduction to the world of the creator’s art and he will guide the attendees to his 30 new works, which have as their starting point his anxiety about the value of the spirit, which is swallowed up as mighty as another Atlantis, by the rushing futility of matter.
The exhibition will be open daily until Sunday, September 1, 6:00-8:00 pm. (Contact phone: 6992989166, Mrs. Mary Zaharaki).
At 8:30 p.m. from the exhibition we move across the street, to Poseidonia Square on the beach of Aigiou, to watch the music and dance performance by “The Sirens” who communicate their own message by interacting with technology and the new era of artificial intelligence. The choreography is by Angeliki Petraki, the set design/dramatography is by Georgia Gavriiloglou and the dancers are Angeliki Petraki and Archontia Bouloutas. Spectators will cool off returning to the exhibition area with fine wine from local wine producers of the Network.
At the same time, on the afternoon of Saturday August 24, two important wineries of Aegialia and members of the “Oinoxenia” Network present events for young and old at their premises. In particular:
• 7.00 p.m. “Tetramythos” Winery – Ano Diakopto
25 years of Tetramythos: On August 24, Tetramythos turns 25 years old and celebrates its 25th harvest with a celebration. Perry Panagiotakopoulos (Wine Kiosk, Pharaoh) is organizing it, the owners of two of the most important culinary spots in Athens, Eleni and Andreas Kiltsiklis from Feyrouz with Levantine flavors and Giorgos Gatsos from Fabrika tou Efrosynos with Balkan cuisine, will cook in the area, while bottles of old and new vintages will be opened.
Music curated for the night by Teranga Beat.
Accompanying winegrowers are awarded and together they turn the page in the second quarter of the century…
Reservation required T. 26910-97500 / email: info@tetramythoswines.com
• 8 p.m. Achaion Winery – 121 Corinthou, Aegio
Bridging the history of the creation of the vine with the native varieties of Aegialia.
Tasting of old & new harvests of native varieties & presentation of the fairy tale “Dionysos, God of the Vine and Wine” (Idyphono publications). Come and hear the stories of Dionysus, the god of wine, vine, game and theater! With music and colors, with storytelling and with games! Have a pure heart and wide open ears. Event for young and old.
CONTRIBUTORS: Maria Papanikolaou, author of the fairy tale, Sakis Papadimitriou, musician-composer.
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