Central Greece/Aegean Islands/Ionian Islands Flashcards
What is the center of production for Central Greece and what is the style of wine?
Attiki PGI; it is a bastion of Retsina using the low-acid Savvatiano grape. Roditis is the second most planted variety and the common name for a closely linked family of pink-skinned grapes.
-No PDO zones in Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
Why is Savvatiano preferred for Retsina? What other grapes are added?
Known as Greece’s most common white grape, it retains some varietal character even when resinated.
-it is the most common ingredient in Retsina, although Roditisand Assyrtikoare often added to compensate for Savatiano’s naturally low acidity.
What are the four wine-producing Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece? N-S
—Kerkyra (Corfu)
—Lefkada
—Cephalonia
—Zakynthos
Which of the Ionian islands has a PDO?
What are the three PDOs styles?
Cephalonia
—Robola of Cephalonia PDO dry white wines produced from 100% Robola. (unrelated to the Ribolla/Rebula of Friuli/Slovenia.)
—Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia PDO-Min. 50% Mavrodaphne, plus Mavri Korinthiaki (The latter must be co-fermented.)
—Muscat of Cephalonia PDO producing VDN/VDL/Sun driedsweet wines-100% Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)
What is Verdea and where is it found in Greece?
What grapes?
On the Ionian island Zakynthos (off the west coast of Peloponnese). A traditional appellation for oxidative wines (similar to Jura’s vin jaune and Sherry)
Made from Min. 50% Skiadopoulo (a white grape with a high sugar content and moderate acidity), plus Robola, Goustolidi, Avgoustiatis (up to 34 varieties are planted on the island of Zakynthos)
What are the PDO’s of the Aegean Islands? (8)
—Lemnos PDO —Muscat of Lemnos PDO —Samos PDO —Paros PDO —Malvasia Paros PDO —Santorini PDO —Muscat of Rhodes PDO —Rhodes PDO
How much of Greek’s wine is produced in Crete?
20% (yet the island struggles with quality)
-largest and most southern Greek isle
What are the two red wine only PDO’s of Crete?
Archanes “AR-ha-nays” PDO- dry red onlymade from Kotsifali and Madilaria
Dafnes “DAF-nays” PDO- dry, sweet, fortified red only made from 100% Liatiko
What two PDO’s of Crete produce both red and white wine?
—Sitia “SIT-tee-ah”PDO- red made from Liatiko, white made from Vilana
—Peza “pay-ZA”PDO- red made from Kotsifali and Mandilaria, white made from 100% Vilana
What are the three new PDO zones of Crete?
—CandiaPDO
—Malvasia Candia PDO
—Malvasia Sitia PDO- White Min. 70%-Vilana, Red-Min. 80% Liatiko, Sweet-100% Liatiko
How much of Greece’s wine is produced in Crete?
20%
What is the most cultivated white grape of Crete?
Vilana, comprises the majority of Sitia whites and all of Peza whites.
What white grape is preferred in Crete by more talented winemakers?
Vidiano, a white grape that retains more acidity.
What is the dominant red grape of Sitia and Dafnes?
Liatiko, found only on Crete and a handful of neighboring islands. It is one of the most ancient varieties under cultivation and delivers a distinctively “orange” wine.
What two islands make up the Cyclades islands
Santorini and Paros
What is the main grape and the blending grapes of Santorini PDO
Assyrtiko, sometimes blended with Athiri and Aidani.
What is special about the vine training for Santorini vines?
What is it also known as?
Stefani baskets. The vines must be trained close to the ground, in the stefani 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.
aka: kouloura: The technique of “weaving” vines into a basket shape (stefani/crown) used on the island of Santorini.
Name a producer of Assyrtiko in Santorini.
Paris Sigalas, a master of Assyrtiko in both barrel-aged and fresher versions.
What two styles in Greece must label their aging in multiples of four (if not labeled by vintage)?
Aging requirments for each?
—both must be aged a minimum 2 years (Santorini in barrels, Mon-Mal in “oxidative environment”), (Santorini vinsanto must occur on the islands of Thera or Thirasia)
- Vinsanto from Santorini PDO: If released with aging statement rather than a vintage, must have been aged in an oxidative manner for at least 4 years. The aging statement on the bottle may only be listed as a multiple of 4 (8, 12, 16, etc)
- Monemvasia-Malvasia PDO: If aged longer than 2 years, it may be aged for 4 years, or in multiples of 4 years thereafter
**”Vinsanto”-a name likely appropriated by the Italians when Venetian ruled the island in the Middle Ages.
What is Vinsanto from Santorini produced from?
Min 51% Assyrtiko, plus Athiri and Aidani and “small amounts” of other traditional grapes.
What is Nychteri?
Modern definition is a wine of at least 13.5% abv, aged in barrel for at least three months.
—Traditionally, meaning runs deeper (impossible for anyone to agree on a definition). “nychteri” meaning “night”, thought that it was either harvested or pressed at night, but always a product of late-harvested grapes. Often reached 19˚ potential alcohol left to age in large barrels, and without topping they regularly developed flor. No one is making flor-affected-nychteri today, but styles align closely with its traditional form.
What is the only PDO appellationthat mandates use of a white grape in red blends? What styles are allowed?
Paros PDO
—Dry white and red
—White: 100% Monemvasia
—Red: co-fermentation of min. 35% Mandelaria grape, and Monemvassia must.
What does the isle of Samos produce?
One of the nations most famous wines: Muscat of Samos. The island rises sharply from the sea, and the vineyards are planted on high altitude, terraced slopes. -Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is known as Moscato Aspro, and is produced in vin de liqueur, vin doux naturel and naturally sweet versions.
What is Samos Nectar?
The naturally sweet version of Moscato Aspro on Samos. It is similar to vin de paille—the wine is produced from dried grapes and aged for a minimum of three years prior to release.
