Crete/Peloponnese

Question 1

Which Greek region is a peninsula (a piece of land extending out into a body of water)?

What creates the peninsula?

Answer 1

Peloponnesus due to the narrow Isthmus of Corinth

—The Corinth Canalseparates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece

Question 2

What are the three PDO’s that have the most vine cultivation concentrated in northern part of Peloponnese?

Answer 2

—Patras
—Nemea
—Mantinia

Question 3

What style is found in Nemea PDO?

What nicknames are sometime attached to Nemea?

Answer 3

—Dry Red Wines
—Semisweet Red Wines (produced by stoping fermentation or by adding must concentrate to dry wines)
—VDL/VDN

• *All from 100% Agiorgitiko “ah-yor-YEE-tee-koh” (St. George)
• **The nickname “blood of Hercules” (or “blood of the lion”) is sometimes attached to the wines of Nemea, commemorating the first of Hercules’ twelve legendary labors.

Question 4

What are the PDO’s of the Pelopenese?

Answer 4

—Nemea PDO-Dry Red/Semisweet Red Wines (produced by stoping fermentation or by adding must concentrate to dry wines)100% Agiorgitiko “ah-yor-YEE-tee-koh” (St. George)
—Mantinia PDO
—Patras PDO
—Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO- Naturally Sweet White (Vin Liastos/Sun Dried)/Fortified Sweet White (VDN), Min. 51% Monemvassia, plus Assyrtiko, Asproudes, Kydonitsa;aged in an oxidative environment for at least two years
—Muscat of Patras PDO “PA-tra”-VDN or naturally sweet produced Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) (sun dried)
—Muscat of Rio Patras PDO “PA-tra”- same as above
—Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO-sweet, fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Maori Korinthiaki. “COR-rinth-e-ah-KEY” a currant grape useful for enriching the sugar content of the wine.Greece is where most of the world’s currants are produced.
—Pratas- no “s” sound

Question 5

What is Agiorgitiko and what is a synonym for the grape?

Answer 5

A softly tannic, intensely fruity black grape and one of Greece’s most noble native varietals. Also know as St. George.

Question 6

What is the most famous subzone of Nemea?

Answer 6

Koutsi

Question 7

What are the soils of Nemea?

Describe the three different zones.

Answer 7

The Agiorgitiko grape is grown on marl and deep red soil.

If yields are not too high, it can produce intense, fruity red wine from three different zones whose elevation varies between 250 and 900 m (800–3,000 ft). Grapes from the lowest vineyards frequently lack acidity and can be used to make a sweet wine. The finest, dry wine is said to come from vineyards between 450 and 700 m (1,500–2,350 ft) above sea level, but the potential of the highest, coolest parts of the appellation is now being explored.

Question 8

What is Moschofilero?

Answer 8

A red-skinned grape with an aromatic resemblance to Muscat used as the principal component of Mantinia PDO There are strong flavour similarities with fine muscat but the origins of this distinct vine variety are as yet obscure. Small quantities of fruity light pink wine are also made from this spicy variety, which is also increasingly used for sparkling wines.

Question 9

What is the style of wine in Patras PDO?

Answer 9

Dry, Semi-Dry, and Semi-Sweet White Wineproducedfrom 100% Roditis.

Question 10

What are the four dessert only wines connected to the Peloponnese?

Answer 10

• -Monemvassia-Malvasia- Naturally Sweet White (Vin Liastos/Sun Dried)/Fortified Sweet White (VDN), Min. 51% Monemvassia, plus Assyrtiko, Asproudes, Kydonitsa,aged in an oxidative environment for at least two years
• -Muscat of Patras “PA-tra”-VDN or naturally sweet produced Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) (sun dried)
• -Muscat of Rio Patras “PA-tra”- same as above; **Pratas- no “s” sound
• -Mavrodaphne of Patras-sweet, fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Maori Korinthiaki. “COR-rinth-e-ah-KEY”
• **Korinthiaki-a currant grape useful for enriching the sugar content of the wine.Greece is where most of the world’s currants are produced.

Question 11

What is Mavrodaphne and what PDO is it connected to?

Style?

Aged?

Producer?

When drank?

Answer 11

Mavrodaphne (“black laurel”) of Patras is a sweet, fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki.

• -Korinthiaki-a currant grape useful for enriching the sugar content of the wine.Greece is where most of the world’s currants are produced.
• -Aged for at least one year in wood prior to release, but may sometimes be in cask for a decade or more prior to bottling.
• -Both vintage and non-vintage versions may be found.
• -The estate of Achaia-Clauss, progenitor of the style, has a Mavrodaphne solera dating to 1882.
• -Often drank as an aperitif to temper the briny, salty character of Greek first courses—and the wine is used for the communion sacrament in Greek Orthodox services.

Question 12

What is Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO?

Located?

Style?

Aging?

Answer 12

A small zone (est 2010) on the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese for naturally and fortified sweet wine made from nin. 51% Monemvassia, plus Assyrtiko, Asproudes, Kydonitsa

• -the wines must be aged in an oxidative environment for at least two years, the first releasesare due in the market in 2012.
• • “Monemvassia” is the name of the grape; also the name of an old port town governed variously by the Greeks, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks. Trade of Monemvassia’s sweet wines dates back to the 13th century.