Greece Flashcards
How has production changed since 1990?
Decreased. 3.5m hL in 1990, 2.6 in 2017.
How was wine traditionally made?
Grapes were crushed by foot then fermented in old casks, mainly oak or chestnut, which were then simply topped up and the wine left to mature for a few months before being drawn off and consumed.
How have winemaking techniques been modernised?
Starting since Greece’s accession to the EU in 1981, there has been rapid improvements.
Virtually all wineries now use modern presses, temperature control and steel for fermentation.
From the late 1980s onwards there was a significant increase in the use of new oak barriques for first red wines, then white.
Barrels were mainly French, but oak was also used.
Modern producers also return to some of the more traditional winemaking practices, such as ambient yeasts, shorter extraction and even maturing wine in Amphorae, like the Ancient Greeks.
Others are experimenting with lees contact for Assyrtiko and Malagousia.
What style of wine has there been a long tradition of?
Sweet wines, often made using sun-dried grapes.
Wines are made from both white and black grapes, with Muscat being one of the most widely used.
Why was Pine Resin initially used for Retsina?
Dating back to Ancient Greece, to seal the amphorae, then used as an additive, probably for flavouring the wine.
When, in recent times, did Retsina get popular? What was production like?
The late 19th century, but with increased tourism after the world wars, sales boomed in the 1960s. Unfortunately many wines were made cheaply and badly, and the resin was often used to unsuccessfully mask poor quality or faulty wines.
There has, however, always been high-quality examples, produced from good grapes using good quality resin.
Where is Retsina mostly produced? By which varieties?
Throughout Greece, but mostly the Central hot plains. Savatiano and Roditis most commonly.
How is Retsina made?
The amount of resin used has fallen over the centuries as winemaking techniques have improved.
Resin is usually added to the must (in the past it was the wine), then the wine is left on its lees for no more than a week after fermentation (in the past it was much longer), both leading to a more subtle, integrated pine resin character.
What legal requirements surround Retsina?
It is a legally protected category with regulations to ensure quality standards. The amount of resin that can be added is controlled and parameters for the final product such as minimum acidity and permitted alcohol levels are specified.
Retsina doesn’t comply with the standard EU definition of wine as it is not made entirely from grapes.
It has, however, been granted special status as a ‘wine of appellation by tradition’ (OKP in Greek)
Which bottling is helping to improve Retsinas’ reputation?
Premium ones, often with Assyrtiko, are slowly helping rebuild the reputation.
