All About Greece

Question 0

What is the aromatized wine flavored with Aleppo pine resin in Greece?

Answer 0

Retsina:

• Transported in ancient Greece, often sealed with pine resin to prevent spoilage
• Retsina is generally produced as white wine, from (Savvatiano grapes) -Flavored w/addition of pine resin, rather than stored in resin-sealed casks
• Cannot be labeled with a vintage
• Retsina is a Traditional Appellation protected by the EU (as a PGI), and is rarely encountered outside of Greece

Question 1

Name a couple of the larger producers, continue to dominate the Greek wine industry, but newer, smaller producers are generating a lot of the excitement. With over 300 indigenous varietals at their disposal.

Answer 1

Larger producers: Boutari and Tsantaliu
Others: Alpha Estate, Antonopoulos, Biblia Chora, Georgakopoulas, Gerovassiliou, Hatzidakis, Gaia, Hatzimichalis, Kir-Yianni, Kourtakis, Mercouri, Papagiannakou, Papaioannou, Sigalas, Wine Art

Question 2

True or False: Many Greek varieties are extinct, but the aromatic white Malagousia has been rescued, as has Lagorthi, and Crete’s Vilana.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Name (3) of Santorini’s white grapes and (3) red grapes?

Answer 3

White-Assyrtiko, Roditis and Savatiano are widely planted varieties
Red-Agiorgitiko, Mavrodaphne, Xynomavro and, to a lesser extent, Limnio are some of the better-known dark-skinned grapes

Question 4

Robola grapes on Cephalonia and Gaia’s tinglingly nervy Thalassitis, made from ancient Assyrtiko vines struggling for survival on the black, volcanic island of _____?

Answer 4

Santorini, Greece: Island most known for Assyrtiko

Question 5

True or False: Among wines that attest to Greece’s ability to make well-balanced reds, the firm and oak-aged Náoussa made from Xynomavro in the far north, intensely perfumed Agiorgitiko grown at Némea on the east coast of the Peloponnese, interesting experimentation between Thessalonika and the Turkish border to the east.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Greece’s host of sweet wines such as Muscats of Sámos, Lemnos and Pátras, which also produces some gloriously mellow wood-aged Mavrodaphne.

Answer 6

A

Question 7

List (7) Main grapes of Greece?

Answer 7

Assyrtiko
Muscat
Roditis
Savatiano
Agiorgitiko
Limnio
Xynomavro

Question 9

Greece wine laws overseen by the Greek Wine Institute, these appellation laws conform to EU standards and resemble the French model. What are the two levels?

Answer 9

Onomasia Proelefsis Anoteras Poiotitos (O.P.A.P.), i.e. an -Appellation of Origin of Superior Quality
Onomasia Proelefsis Eleghomeni (O.P.E.), i.e. a
-Controlled Appellation of Origin
-Topikos Oinos, i.e. a Vin de pays
-Epitrapezios Oinos, i.e. a Vin de table
Epitrapezios Oinos, table wine in scew-top containers
-Cava, more prestigious, aged “reserve” blends (minimum aging: 2 years for whites; 3 years for reds)
-Retsina, a traditional wine, flavored with pine resin

Question 10

“PDO Wines of Greece” that will appear on current and future bottles of wines featuring a designation of origin, and what is the aging designation for white/red?

Answer 10

-PDO wines may carry an aging designation.
-“Reserve” [white wines] a min-(1yr) of aging w/at
least (6) months barrel and (3) months in bottle
-“Reserve”[red wines] a min-(2yr) of aging w/at
least (1yr) in barrel and (6) months in bottle

• “Grand Reserve” [white wines] min-(2yr) aging period, including at least (1yr) barrel and (6) months bottle
• “Grand Reserve” [red wines] min-(4yr) aging period, including at least (18mo) barrel and (18mo) in bottle.

Question 11

_______ (“St. George’s [grape]”) is a variety native to Nemea that grows mainly in the Peloponnese area, producing a soft, fruity red in many styles.

Answer 11

Agiorghitiko- both dry and sweet Nemean wines are produced exclusively from the Agiorgitiko (St. George) grape, a softly tannic, intensely fruity black grape and one of Greece’s most noble native varietals

Question 12

______ (“sour black”) is the predominant grape variety in Macedonia, centered around the town of Naousa. This variety has great aging potential with a palate reminiscent of tomatoes and olives, and a rich tannic character.

Answer 12

Xinomavro

Question 13

Limnio, or Kalambaki is an important red grape variety that is indigenous to the Aegean island of Lemnos and has been used in red wine production for more than 2000yrs Limnio is full-bodied, high alcohol, herbaceous, distinctive taste of bay leaves. True or False

Answer 13

True

Question 14

_____, or “black laurel”, is a variety that grows in the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands. It is blended with the Black Corinth currant grape to produce a prized fortified dessert wine made in the Solera style.

Answer 14

Mavrodaphne

Question 15

_____ is a multi-purpose variety which maintains its acidity as it ripens. It is similar in character to Riesling, and is mostly island-based, being a native variety of the island of Santorini, whose old vines have been resistant to Phylloxera.

Answer 15

Assyrtiko-Grown in the island’s poor, volcanic soils, is one of Greece’s most compelling white grapes: the wines are distinctively mineral, powerful, and high in acidity. Paris Sigalas is a master, producing Assyrtiko in both barrel-aged and fresher versions.

Question 16

_______ is a Blanc de gris variety from the AOC region of Mantinia, in the Peloponnese. Its wines offer a crisp and floral character in both still and sparkling styles. (Mantinia, and Patras PDO zones in the Peloponnese produce white wines exclusively.)

Answer 16

Moschofilero- a red-skinned grape with an aromatic resemblance to Muscat, is the principal component of Mantinia PDO wines, one of Greece’s most exciting white wines.

Question 17

_____ (the “pink” or “rose” grape) is a grape that is very popular in Attica, Macedonia, Thessaly, and the Peloponnese. This variety produces elegant, light white wines with citrus flavors.

Answer 17

Roditis

Question 18

The three PDO zones of Nemea, Mantinia, and Patras are located on what peninsula?

Answer 18

Peloponnese

Question 19

Patras itself is an appellation for dry white wines produced from 100% Roditis, but there are also three dessert wine PDO zones connected to the region: Muscat of Patras, Muscat of Rio Patras, and Mavrodaphne of Patras. True or False

Answer 19

True

Question 20

Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Rio Patras may be either _____ or naturally sweet in style, and are produced from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

Answer 20

vin doux naturel

Question 21

_____ (“black laurel”) of Patras is a sweet, fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki, a currant grape useful for enriching the sugar content of the wine.

Answer 21

Mavrodaphne- Mavrodaphne of Patras is aged for at least one year in wood prior to release, but the wine may sometimes slumber in cask for a decade or more prior to bottling.

Question 22

The Greeks often drink Mavrodaphne of Patras as an ____ tradition developed to temper the briny, salty character of Greek first courses—and the wine is used for the communion sacrament in Greek Orthodox services.

Answer 22

aperitif

Question 23

True or False: There are four wine-producing Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece: Cephalonia, Kerkyra (Corfu), Lefkada, and Zakynthos. Cephalonia is the only Ionian island to warrant a PDO

Answer 23

True

Question 24

North of Crete are the Cyclades islands of Santorini and Paros. Santorini PDO is an exciting appellation, producing white wines from the _____ grape, sometimes blended with Athiri and Aidani.

Answer 24

Assyrtiko

Question 25

In Santorini PDO -The vines must be trained close to the ground, in the _____ shape of baskets or wreaths, in order to protect them from the fierce Aegean winds and to collect the little moisture that becomes available as morning dew.

Answer 25

stefani

Question 26

The isle of Samos, to the northeast of Paros, is home to one of the nation’s most famous wines: the famed Muscat of Samos, now a PDO. The island rises sharply from the sea, and vineyards are planted on high altitude, terraced slopes. On Samos, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is known as ___, and is produced in vin de liqueur, vin doux naturel and naturally sweet versions.

Answer 26

Moscato Aspro

The naturally sweet version is called Samos Nectar, and is similar to vin de paille—the wine is produced from dried grapes and aged for a minimum of three years prior to release.

Question 27

The Greek PDO category includes both OPAP and OPE appellations.
• True
• False

Answer 27

True

Question 28

What is the principal white grape of Santorini PDO wines?
• 	Moschofilero
• 	Assyrtiko 
• 	Agiorgitiko
• 	Xinomavro
• 	Debina

Answer 28

Assyrtiko

Question 29

Which of the following wine styles is protected by a Traditional Appellation in Greece?
• 	Mavrodaphne of Patras
• 	Muscat of Rio Patras
• 	Slopes de Meliton
• 	Retsina
• 	Muscat of Samos

Answer 29

Retsina

Question 30

The wines of Nemea are produced from the Agiorgitiko grape.
• True
• False

Answer 30

True

Question 31

Where is Naoussa?
• 	Romania
• 	Armenia
• 	Bulgaria
• 	Turkey
• 	Greece

Answer 31

Greece

Question 32

Vinsanto is a sweet, dried grape wine produced on the island of Samos.
• True
• False

Answer 32

False-The island Santorini also produces a sweet dried grape wine, Vinsanto—a name likely appropriated by the Italians when Venetians ruled the island in the Middle Ages.

Question 33

Agiorgitiko is the principal grape of the______ PDO in Peloponnese.

Answer 33

The following answer is acceptable:

Nemea

Question 34

Which of the following PDO regions is not located in Macedonia?
• 	Naoussa
• 	Amynteo
• 	Zitsa 
• 	Goumenissa
• 	Slopes de Meliton

Answer 34

Zitsa- On the Ionian Coast to the west of Thessalia, the region of Epirus contains only one PDO: Zitsa.

Dry, semisweet, and sparkling wines are produced from the Debina grape.

Question 35

On what island are Robola PDO wines produced?
• 	Corfu
• 	Cephalonia 
• 	Santorini
• 	Zakynthos
• 	Rhodes

Answer 35

Cephalonia

Question 36

Which of the following appellations is not located on Crete?
• 	Archanes
• 	Sitia
• 	Dafnes
• 	Anchialos
• 	Peza

Answer 36

Anchialos