Greece Flashcards
For how long has Greece been producing wine?
> 5,000 years
How did the Greeks historically protect their wines from oxidation or mask off-flavors?
- Through the addition of substances like herbs, spices, flowers, honey, oil
- Very common: Pine Resin which is still used today (-> Retsina)
What caused the Greek wine production to suffer and not recover until the 1980s?
- Different empires (e.g., Roman Empire)
- Wars (e.g., WWII)
- Phylloxera
What happened in the last 40 years with respect to production, quality, and export?
- Rapid rise in small quality-minded producers
- Mostly consumed domestically until the financial crisis
- Significant increase in exports in the last decade
What are the two climate conditions in Greece?
- Mostly Mediterranean (long, hot summers and mild winters)
- Increasingly continental inland, esp. in nothern Greece
What are the two most important factors that moderate temperatures?
- Mountains (best vineyards are planted at higher altitudes)
- Sea
What is a hazard for vineyards on Greek islands?
Strong onshore winds
What can hazardous onshore winds cause vineyards on Greek islands?
- Stop photosynthesis
- Interrupt flowering and berry-set
- Delay ripening
- Destroy unprotected vineyards
- Increase water stress
What is the annual rainfall and what region is an exception?
- 400-700mm (irrigation common)
- Santorini is much drier
Describe the soil types. Are they mostly low or high in fertility?
- Numerous soil types from limestone to volcanic
- Mostly low fertility
What is Greek’s total size of vineyards and how much is used for wine production?
- 106,000 ha
- Only 61,500 ha used for wine
How large is an avg. vineyard and what business are engaged in the production of wine?
- 0.5 ha
- Smaller producers sell their grapes to larger companies or co-operatives
Is the vineyard work mechanized or by hand?
Mostly by hand because of the tricky terrain
How was the Greek wine culture shaped by joining the EU?
- Access to funding and wine education
- However, traditional methods to create distinctive wines are still recognized
What is the status quo regarding organic and biodynamic viticulture?
Very suitable for organic and biodynamic viticulture because of the dry and hot climate
What is the typical trellising system? What is the exception?
- Cordon-trained with VSP
- Different systems for areas with high winds and low rainfall
For what varieties is irrigation mostly used, why, and what system is used?
- International varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
- Local varieties developed higher tolerance of drought
- Drip irrigation
How much of plantings are with local varieties?
90%
What are the 5 most important white varieties in descending order?
- Savatiano
- Roditis
- Assyrtiko
- Moschofilero
- Malagousia
What are the 5 most important black varieties in descending order?
- Agiorgitiko
- Xinomavro
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Syrah
How are international varieties mostly used?
In blends with local varieties
How many local varieties do roughly exist? How many have significant plantings?
- 300
- 60
What is an advantage in wine business of having strong local varieties?
Differentiating factor on the export market
What blends with local and international varieties have been particularly successful?
- Sauvignon Blanc with Assyrtiko
- Merlot with Xinomavro
When and why did international varieties appear?
- Late 1980s
- Demand in domestic market
- Concent that foreign consumers would only buy wines from those varieties
How much of production comes from white grapes?
70%
Savatiano
How much is it planted and why?
- Most planted
- Resistance to drought
Savatiano
What style of wine does it mostly produce?
- Used to produce large volumes of inexpensive wine
- Most common ingredient in Retsina
Savatiano
What style of wines can it produce besides large volume inexpensive wine? (quality, trellising, aromas, ageing)
- Very good quality from low-yielding, dry-farmed bush vines
- Subtle aromas of citrus, pear and stone fruit
- Nutty character with age
Roditis
Is it high or low yielding and for what style of wine is it used?
- High yielding
- Mainly used for inexpensive wine and as a blending ingredient for Retsina
Roditis
Higher quality possible? If yes, how?
- Yes
- Altitude and from old vines
Roditis
What is the higher quality wine like? (body, acidity, flavors)
- Medium body
- High acidity
- Ripe fruit (e.g., melon)
Assyrtiko
What is its reputation?
Greece’s best-known and most prized indigenous white grape
Assyrtiko
What charcteristics make this variety popular? (acidity, alcohol, ageing)
- Highly adaptable to different conditions
- High acidity (even when ripe)
- High alcohol
- Can age well
Assyrtiko
What two styles are produced?
- Luscious sweet wines (e.g., Vinsanto from Santorini)
- Dry wine with citrus, stone, tropical fruit (sometimes with oak)
Moschofilero
What quality level can it reach and what variety is it similar to?
- High quality
- Similar to Muscat
Moschofilero
What style is it made in? (aromas, acidity, body, alcohol)
- Flowers (particularly rose petals) and spices
- High acidity
- Light body
- Relatively low in alcohol (12% abv)
Moschofilero
Where is it mostly planted?
Mantinia in the Peloponnese
Malagousia
What is its reputation and plantings?
- Reputation for high quality
- Very small plantings (almost extinct 20 years ago)
Malagousia
What is the typical style? (acidity, body, aromas)
- Medium acidity
- Medium body
- Complex and intense aromas of stone fruit and flowers (herbaceous note is picked early)
Malagousia
What vessels are used for winemaking?
- Stainless steel
- Old oak
- Proportion of new oak
What other white varieties are grown in Greece and what type of wine is produced with them?
- Various Muscat varieties
- Everything form dry to sweet
Agiorgitiko
What are the plantings and color?
Most planted black variety (3rd place overall)
Agiorgitiko
What four types of wines are produced from this grape?
- Lighter, fruity style for early drinking
- More complex, full-bodied age worthy style
- High quality rosés
- Sweet wines
Agiorgitiko
What is the typical style of this red wine? (color, acidity, tannin, alcohol, aromas)
- Deeply color
- Medium acidity
- Medium to high tannins
- Medium alcohol
- Red fruit and spices
Agiorgitiko
What vessels are used for winemaking?
Often aged in oak
Agiorgitiko
Where is the variety mainly found?
Peloponnese, esp. PDO Nemea
Xinomavro
What is its reputation and where is it grown?
- Greece’s most prized indigenous black grape variety
- Grown all over northern Greece
- Most famous wines from Naoussa
Xinomavro
With which other varietiy is it often compared? Why?
- Nebbiolo
- In youth: unpleasantly high levels of acidity and grippy tannins with aromas that are more vegetal than fruity
- Pale colored
Xinomavro
What is the typical style? (oak, aromas, ageing)
- Best wines, produced from lower-yielding vines and aged in oak
- Highly complex aromas of flowers, herbs, spices, leather, and earthiness
- Can age for decades
Xinomavro
What is a recent trend with this variety?
A number of producers have started producing wines that are more accessible in their youth
Xinomavro
With what is it sometimes blended and why?
- Merlot
- To soften rough edges
How did the winemaking since the 1980s evolve?
- Usage of modern presses, temperature control and stainless-steel vessels
- Sometimes new oak
- Experiments with natural yeast and amphorae
Retsina
What was pine resin (Fichtenharz) used for in Ancient Greece?
- Used to seal amphorae
- Used as an additive
Retsina
When did sales boom?
1960s
Retsina
How was resin often used?
Mask poor quality
or even faulty wines
Retsina
Are Retsina wines always low quality?
No, there have always been high-quality examples
Retsina
Where and with what varieties is it mostly produced?
- Hot central plains
- Made mostly from Savatiano and Roditis
Retsina
How is pine resin used during winemaking?
Added to the must and then left on lees for a week after fermentation
Retsina
What EU definition does Retsina follow?
- Does not comply with EU definition for wine
- Special status as a “wine of appellation by tradition” (OKP in Greek)
Retsina
What grape variety is used for premium bottlings?
Assyrtiko
What are the three categories within Greek’s appellation system and how is production distributed?
- PDO (20%) (Greek: POP)
- IGP (62%) (Greek: PGE)
- Wines from Greece (18%)
Within the PDO category, what grapes are allowed to be used?
- Usually restricted to native varieties
- Exception: Muscat for sweet wines
What are the two largest producers?
- Greek Wine Cellars
- Boutaris Group
What businesses are involved in the production of wine?
- 7,000 growers (mostly small)
- 1,000 wineries (mostly small)
- Mostly seeling to co-operatives or larger companies
What is recent trend for smaller wineries?
Selling their wine themselves
What role did and do co-ops play in wine business?
- Were reponsible for significant production, but mostly lower quality
- Today often higher quality
How much of the wine is exported?
13%
What are the main export markets for lower quality wines?
- Germany (40%)
- Scandinavia
- Benelux
What are the four emerging export markets for higher quality wines?
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- UK
What influence did Greece’s weak economy have on wine business?
Even the highest quality wines do not reach premium prices
What is a challenge for exporting Greek wines?
- Local varieties
- Different language and alphabet -> changed to Latin alphabet
How important is the domestic market and what is awkward about it?
- Still highly important
- Domestic market wants international varieties
