Cyprus and Turkey Flashcards
What mountain ranges define the geography of Cyprus?
Troodos and Kyrenia
What wine does Cyprus make that is believed to be the oldest continually produced named wine?
Commandaria
When was the first Commandaria wine documented?
800 BCE
How is Commandaria vinified?
Mavro and Xynisteri are harvested in late September / early October
Sun dried for 1-2 weeks
Pressed for juice
Traditional it is vinified in jars that are never full emptied, leaving a mana “mother”, but modern commandaria is usually vintage dated
Aged in old oak vessel
It may be fortified or not (modern commandaria is usually not fortified)
What is the name commandaria derived from?
commandaries established by the Crusaders - Knights of Templar
Where is commandaria produced?
South of the Troodos mountains and north of Lemesos in South central Cyprus
What two grapes are used to produce commandaria?
Mavro - red
Xynisteri- white
Which grape is most commonly used for vintage dated, unfortified commandaria?
Xynisteri
What does Xynisteri mean?
Lacking acidity
Name the four PGIs of Cyprus from East to West and North the South
Pafos
Lefkosia, Lemesos
Kyrenia
Ammochostos, Larnaka
What is the Turkish anise flavoured grape spirit?
Raki
Name three indigenous Turkish red grapes and two indigenous white grapes.
Red: Öküzgözü (Bulls eye), Boğazkere (Throat puckerer), Kalecik Karasi
White. Narince, Emir, Yapincak
Although turkey lacks an appellation system, what are the main wine growing regions?
Thrace (sits at the border with Greece and Bulgaria)
Marmara (Northwest Turkey around the Sea of Marmara)
Aegean (Western Turkey, the Aegean Sea coast)
Black Sea(Northern Turkey along the Black Sea coast)
Central Anatolia
Mediterranean (Southern coast along the Mediterranean Sea)
East Anatolia
Southeast Anatolia
