Eastern Mediterranean Flashcards
Describe what makes a wine Kosher
Essentially, the grapes and wine are only to be handled by Sabbath observing Jews. If the winemakers are more secular, they can’t engage in the physical activities of winemaking, or even touch the barrels. No winemaking on Sabbath- automation is important. All additives and cleaning materials must be kosher certified.
Most stringent certification is mevushal, meaning “cooked,” which required flash pasteurization. Not all Kosher wines are cooked.
Who invented drip irrigation?
Simcha Blass, in Israel in the mid 1900s.
What is the major wine region in Lebanon?
Bekaa Valley
other region is Batroun, on the northern coast
Between which two mountain ranges is the Bekaa valley?
Mount Lebanon range
Anti-Lebanon Mountains- form the border with Syria, ends at Mt Harmon, beginning of Golan Heights
Bekaa Valley elevation? Climate?
900-100m
Mount Lebanon barricades the Bekaa from Mediterranean humidity, while the Anti-Lebanon range shields the valley from the Syrian desert’s heat.
The Litani River, which frequently runs dry in the summer months, extends the length of the Bekaa Valley before emptying into the Mediterranean just north of Tyre.
alluvial soil, lots of variation though
Lebanon important red grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault,
Lebanon important white grapes
Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscat
indigenous: Obaideh and Merweh
What is arak?
an unsweetened grape-derived spirit. Arak undergoes multiple distillations (typically two to four), most traditionally in a Moorish copper still, with anise seed added before the final distillation. The spirit is then aged in cloth-covered clay amphorae. For serving, arak is typically cut with two parts water to one part spirit, which gives it a cloudy appearance, similar to absinthe when diluted.
National drink of Lebanon
Eastern Mediterranean
What is Raki?
anise flavored grape spirit from Turkey (similar to arak)
Turkey major winegrowing regions
Thrace: western side, borders Bulgaria and Greece.
Aegean: further down coast
Anatolia: inland regions
Marmara - in the NW
Marmara and Aegean account for around 90% of production
Turkey climate and influencing factors
Thrace: influence of Marmara, Aegean, and Black Seas- mediterranean.
Aegean: very warm, planting on higher elevation inland valleys that are cooled by wind
Anatolia: continental. more humid summers, colder winters
Turkey major international grapes
Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cinsault, Alicante Bouschet
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Turkey indigenous red grapes
Okuzgozu (“bulls eye” - large berries)
Kalecik Karasi
Bogazkere (“throat puckerer”)
other reds: Çalkarası, Papazkarası, and Karasakız
Papazkarasi (“black priest”)
Turkey indigenous white grapes
Narince
Emir
Yapincak
Sidalan
Israel main wine regions
Golan Heights- mountainous, volcanic soil
Upper Galilee - hillier. limestone, volcanic, terra rossa
Lower Galilee - around Mt Tabor
Coastal Plain - hot and humid
Judean Foothills
Central Mountains
Mount Carmel
Shomron Hills
Negev
Israel old wine regions
Galilee- including Golan Heights
Shomron- including the Northern Coastal Plain, Mount Carmel, Menashe Hills, Shomron Hills
Samson including the Central Coastal Plain and the Judean Foothills
Judean Hills
Negev- southern desert region
Cyprus grapes
Xinisteri- white, indigenous, promising
Mavro- red indigenous, best in Commanderia
white: Promara, Morokanella
red: Maratheftiko, Yiannoudin
Cyprus important PDO and PGIs
there are 7 PDOs, but only Commandaria is notable
PGIs are used: Larnaka, Lemesos, Lefkosia, Pafos
Turkey occupies the northeastern sector
What is Commandaria?
both a PDO in Cyprus, and the world’s oldest continually produced named wine, documented as early as 800 BC (though likely made earlier). originally called “nama” - sweet wine
region covers 14 villages in south-central Cyprus, south of the Troodos Mountains.
It is an amber colored dessert wine made from dried Mavro (red) and Xynisteri (white) grapes. bush vines. grapes are sun dried for about 2 weeks.
two main styles: non-vintage, fortified wines composed primarily of Mavro made at the larger firms, and vintage-dated, unfortified examples with a higher concentration of Xynisteri
large firms: KEO, Etko, Sodap, and Loel
