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‘Priceless’ wines and spirits unearthed at Greece’s Tatoi Palace
A stash of over 4,000 bottles of wines and spirits has been unearthed at the Tatoi Palace, the former summer residence of the Greek royal family near Athens.
According to news website Greek Reporter, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced the find this week and has deemed it to be “historically significant”.
Among the rare drops found in the collection are bottles of Château Margaux, Château de Vincennes and Château Mouton Rothschild, and a limited edition ceramic bottle of Chivas whisky made to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Also found among the stash were cans of soft drink dating back to an era before they were imported into Greece.
According to Greek Reporter, as many as 300 cases have yet to be opened, and more liquid treasures are expected to be uncovered as the restoration works continue.
All of the wines and spirits discovered in the find are being catalogued by the team at Achaia Claus winery, who have been called in by the palace to consult on the project.
The cataloguing is being led by Periklis Baltas, who looks after Achaia Claus’ historical archive. Founded in 1861, the winery is among the oldest in Greece.
The wines are being grouped based on their rarity and condition with the view to putting a number of them on display at the palace.
“The Tatoi wine and spirits collection, in addition to its significant collector value, is also of great scientific and research interest. The restoration work to showcase the former royal estate is complex.
“For the evaluation of the wine collection we are working with specialist scientists who have know-how, both on an oenological level and for its historic validation,” said the minister of culture, Lina Mendoni.
“Our goal is that, upon completion of the restoration work and the transition of the palace building into a museum, the part of the collection that has been evaluated as fit for display should find its place in the existing space of the palace cellars, which will be open to the public,” she added.