Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The first elements of Greek wine date back to 6500 years ago, where the wine was produced on a household or community basis. In antiquity, as the wine trade became extensive, transported from one end of the Mediterranean to the other, Greek wine had a particularly high prestige in Italy under the Roman Empire. During the medieval period, wines exported from Crete, Monemvasia and other Greek ports reached high prices in northern Europe.