Aegean Islands and Crete Flashcards
What is the primary sea of Greece?
Aegean
What % of Greek vineyards are in the Aegean?
over a fifth
What % of Greek vines comes from Crete?
11.9%
What are the four island groups of the Aegean?
Cyclades
Dodecanese
North Aegean
Sporades
Where are the Cyclades?
A cluster of islands located in the south Aegean southeast of mainland Greece.
What are the most important islands in the Cyclades?
Santorini
Paros
What is the Meltemi? What is its affect?
A wind that blows across the Cyclades.
-stalls photosynthesis that is essential to the extended growing season and preventing the fruit from getting too ripe
-Cyclades are some of the hottest and driest area of Greece
What is the most widespread red varietal in the Aegean?
Mandilaria
What are stéfani? What is the traditional term on the island?
The basket-training systems of Santorini
Kouloura
-for much of the growing season, morning fog and dew are the only sources of moisture - this training system helps to capture this
-This method of training also serves to protect both vines and fruit from the angry winds that regularly whip the island
What are the PDOs of the Aegean Islands?
N to S around to the east
Lemnos PDO
Muscat of Lemnos PDO
Samos PDO
Paros PDO
Malvasia Paros PDO
Santorini PDO
Rhodes PDO
Muscat of Rhodes PDO
Soils of Santorini
Volcanic
-the island erupted dramatically during the 17th century BCE and wiped out the Minoan civilzation
Who was sole commercial wine producer on Santorini since 1947 until the 1970s.
Santo
Who came along in Santorini in 1970s? Who followed in the 80s.
Argyros family in the 1970s
Boutari in the 1980s
-inaugural vintage in 1989
How did Boutari work to revitalize the local industry
picking earlier than was traditional and introducing technologies such as stainless steel and temperature control
What is Nykteri?
Dry white wine of Santorini, traditionally harvested at night to avoid hot temperatures and oxidation. Ironically, it’s an oxidative style of wine with a mandatory 3mos minimum aging in oak (may be under voile).
What is Vinsanto?
Traditional Sweet Wine of Santorini, produced from dried grapes (12-14 days). Must be aged on Thera or Thirasia.
Must weight: min. 370 g/l
2 years aging in oak.
Vin Santo VDN is also authorized, but not currently produced.
May vinsanto be released as a non-vintage wine?
Yes. Required to age in barrels for a minimum of 4 years, and the aging statement on the bottle must be a multiple of 4. (8, 12, 16, etc.).
What are the styles and authorized varieties on Santorini?
Styles:
Dry White Wine
Sweet Dried Grape Wine (Vinsanto / Liastos)
Fortified Dried Grape Wine (Vinsanto): This style is not currently produced in Santorini, but is legally allowed.
Authorized Varieties:
Dry Wines: Min. 85% Assyrtiko, plus Athiri and Aidani
Vinsanto: Min. 51% Assyrtiko, plus Athiri, Aidani
Who announced in 2018 that they establish an estate on Thirassia?
Biblia Chora
What is Mezza?
a red dessert wine from Santorini produced from air-dried Mandilaria grapes.
What are the PDO of Paros?
Paros and Malvasia of Paros.
What are the styles and varieties of Paros?
Dry White: 100% Monemvassia
Dry Red: co-fermentation of minimum 35% Mandilaria grape, and Monemvassia must
How does the climate of Paros compare to Santorini?
Paros is extremely hot and dry but less windy and more humid than Santorini.
What are the two island of production for Paros?
Paros
Antiparos
What is the only instance of a dry red PDO wine in Greece that allows the inclusion of a white grape.
Paros PDO
What are the styles, varieties and aging requirements of Malvasia Paros?
Vin Liastos, VDN
min. 85% Monemvassia plus Assyrtiko
2 years aging in oak in a oxidative environment (oak barrels)
What is the Minimum Residual Sugar for naturally sweet wine of Malvasia Paros?
Naturally Sweet Wine (Sun Dried): 80 g/l
May Malvasia Paros be released as a non-vintage wine?
Wines which undergo the minimum 2 years of aging may use a vintage date. Wines may also be labeled with an average age given in 4 year increments, 4, 8, 12, 16 etc, which allows the blending of younger wines with older.
What is the largest island of the Dodecanese?
Rhodes