been awarded with the Greek Breakfast Label by the end of 2024 (Ελληνικό πρωινό, 2025). 5.3. Wine Routes and Wine / Oenotourism Greece, like other Mediterranean countries has a rich viticultural tradition. Wine, which was seen as the gift of God Dionysus to the mortals, is linked not only to the Greeks’ eating habits but also to religious and folk traditions and cultural heritage. In order to preserve and promote this heritage, the cultural route entitled “The Wine Routes” was established by winemakers’ associations. “The Wines Routes” includes the most picturesque spots of a wine-growing zone, suggests visitation to selected wine-producing units, tasting local grape varieties and wines accompanied by traditional local foodstuffs and tours of traditional settlements, archeological sites, museums, etc. It is a form of tourism that is in perfect harmony with the natural environment and aims at acquaintance with each locality through the tradition of viticulture and winemaking (Mylonopoulos & Moira, 2024). Along wine routes, there are restaurants, tavernas, ouzeris (a type of Greek tavern which serves ouzo (a Greek liquor) and mezedes (small finger foods) and hotels offer quality hospitality and complement visitors’ acquaintance with Greece and its culture. The Wine Routes cover Northern Greece, Central Greece, the Ionian Islands, the Peloponnese and the Aegean Islands (VisitGreece, 2022). The Ministry of Tourism of Greece introduced in 2014 by virtue of Law no. 4276 the “Winery Open to the Public-Wine Tourism Label”, which certifies a winemaking or wine-producing business as a wine tourism facility with particular specifications, as long as guided tours or reception and hospitality services are provided to visitors in non-main tourist accommodation or catering establishment operating within the premises of the facility (Figure 3). The Winery Open to the Public-Wine Tourism Label is valid for five years and a fee of EUR 150 is payable to apply for obtaining the Label. Winemaking or wine-producing businesses that wish to renew their Label for another five years should apply for it before the Label expires (Mylonopoulos & Moira, 2024). 503 THE INTEGRATION OF THE GREEK GASTRONOMIC IDENTITY AND PHILOSOPHY
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