Restoration and conservation works at the former royal estate of Tatoi, due north of Athens, this month revealed a rare treasure, but not of precious artwork, heirlooms, jewelry or documents, but of a long-forgotten cellar containing decades-old wines and spirits.
Along with the thousands of moveable and immovable objects being restored by a culture ministry directorate for modern monuments, are the recently discovered bottles, replete with their commemorative labels.
According to Greek culture minister Lina Mendoni, the Tatoi cellar also entails a significant interest for researchers, besides hosting for decades the prized locally produced wines and imported spirits, such as half-century-old malt whiskeys.
The intent, after the cellar's discovery, is to showcase the bottles in the new museum to be established in the former royal summer mansion.
Some 550 crates have been revealed, and no less than 4,000 bottles cataloged. The cache also includes rare and unopened soft drink cans, which were imported to Greece in the 1950s and 1960s.
Special vinologists and chemists will examine which of the discovered wines and spirits, in fact, are unadulterated and uncorrupted, allowing for their possible consumption.
