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WSET Diploma D3 > Greece > Flashcards

Greece Flashcards

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1
Q

history of wine in greece

A
  1. 5000 years ago, ancient greek symposium, and golden age. During Greek empire first wine writings, laws to prevent fraud and raise taxes, usually infused with herbs, spices, flowers, honey and oils.
  2. Decline for Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empire (only domestic consume) the Balkan Wars, WW1 and 2, civil war and philloxera, famous only for cheap wines such as Retsina
  3. rapid rise of high quality during the 80s, slow down on 2008 crisis now slight increase
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2
Q

2 general climates of greece

A
  1. coastal: mediterranean (long hot summers, and short mild winters)
  2. inland: continental (hotter, winters temperatures are going below freezing)
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3
Q

latitude of greece

A

34/42

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4
Q

influences moderating climate in greece and threats

A
  1. cold temperature inland - spring frost risk/grapes doesn’t reach ripeness
  2. mountains - altitude
  3. sea - moderating influences in flatter areas
  4. high winds - stop photosynthesis, interrupt flowering, berry set and delay ripening
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5
Q

rainfall levels in greece and problems

A

400 to 700mm little or no rain, water stress high risk, irrigation is common

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6
Q

over what kind of soils wine is planted in greece?

A

low fertility since the start usually fertile land was used for more lucrative crops so less fertile areas were used for olive and vines

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7
Q

average holding for a grower

A

0.5ha small volumes holding worked by hand, usually grape sold to bigger producers or co-ops or small volumes sold locally

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8
Q

when greek winemaking really took over?

A

when greece joined the EU and got access to funding

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9
Q

organic practices in Greece

A

hot and dry condition are making it suitable for organic and biodynamic viticulture also chemicals are recently a new thing

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10
Q

most common trellising technique

A

cordon trained with VSP some trellising techniques are made suitable for specific places over the centuries (e.g. Santorini)

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11
Q

irrigation in greece

A

is permitted for international varieties mainly (cab sauv and merlot) as many local varieties are now drought tolerant drip irrigation is most used techniques

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12
Q

how many indigenous varieties there are in greece?

A

unknown, at least 300 of which 60 are strongly cultivated new ones are discovered every day

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13
Q

best advantage of indigenous varietals in greece

A

important point of difference for greece in the export markets

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14
Q

why international varieties arrived in greece?

A

in the late 80s because of:

  1. request from the domestic market
  2. concern from producers looking at export (they thought consumers would never buy indigenous variety)
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15
Q

use of international varieties in greece

A
  1. single varietal (e.g. Chard, Sauvignon Blanc)
  2. blend with local varieties (e.g. Sauv and Assyrtiko, Merlot and Xinomavro)
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16
Q

most planted grapes in greece

A
  1. savatiano
  2. roditis
  3. agiorgitiko
  4. xinomavro
  5. assyrtiko
  6. cab sauv, merlot, syrah
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17
Q

what is mostly planted in greece? white or red varietals

A

70% is white

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18
Q

savatiano main feature and production style

A

it is drought resistant
large volume, inexpensive wine

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19
Q

savatiano modern reputation

A

rising because of quality production from low yielding, dry farmed bush vines

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20
Q

savatiano aromas

A

citrus, pear, stone fruit with nutty character with age

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21
Q

main grapes of retsina

A

savatiano
roditis

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22
Q

roditis is similar in style to what other grape?

A

moschofilero

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23
Q

roditis was famous because?

A

can bear high yields
inexpensive wines

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24
Q

roditis skin colour

A

pink skinned
many don’t macerate though

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25
Q

modern style of roditis

A

some high quality from altitude old vines in the peloponnese

medium body, high acidity, melon

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26
Q

assyrtiko main features

A
  1. highly adaptable - now is planted also on mainland
  2. high levels of acidity are always retained even in hot conditions - balances high alcohol (can age well)
  3. versatily - dry and sweet (vinsanto from santorini)
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27
Q

assyrtiko style

A

citrus, stone, tropical fruit, smoky/flinty some ages it in oak, fuller body

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28
Q

moschofilero grows mainly in…

A

mantinia in peloponnese

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29
Q

moschofilero style

A
  1. white - aromatic similar to muscat (citrus, rose petal, spices), high acidity, light body, low alcohol
  2. rose with extended skin contact (pink skinned)
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30
Q

malagousia plantings

A

very small, was almost extinct mainly high quality production

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31
Q

malagousia style

A

medium acidity, body stone fruit, flowers, herbal character if cooler site both stainless steel or oaky/new oak

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32
Q

where agiorgitiko grows?

A

peloponnese - nemea pdo

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33
Q

most planted black grape variety in greece

A

agiorgitiko

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34
Q

agiorgitiko style

A
  1. lighter fruity early drinking
  2. complex, full body, medium acidity, deep colour, mid to high tannins and medium alcohol, ripe red fruit and sweet spices (oak is common, small % new)
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35
Q

xinomavro style

A

pale colour, long bottle ageing flowers, herbs, spices, leather, hearth high acidity, high tannins, vegetal

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36
Q

xinomavro recent styles

A
  1. more accessible wines in their youth (fruity and softer tannins), riper grapes and less extraction, lower acidity and tannins
  2. blends with Merlot to soften Xinomavro
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37
Q

how originally wine was made in greece

A

crushed by foot, fermented in old cask (oak/chestnut) for a few months, then consumed

38
Q

winemaking advancment in greece

A

mostly after joining EU 1981

  1. modern presses, stainless steel temp control, new oak barriques (both french and american)
  2. more traditionalist styles with ambient yeast, shorter extraction, and experimentation on whites with lees (like assyrtiko and malagousia)
39
Q

why pine resin was used in wine?

A
  1. seal amphorae
  2. flavouring purposes
  3. to mask poor quality or faulty wines

was sold and got famous through tourism

40
Q

where is retsina mainly produced?

A

in hot central plains

41
Q

how retsina is made?

A

resin added to the must (in the past was in the final wine) on the lees for a week or two integrated but subtle pine resin flavours

42
Q

current laws on retsina

A

does not comply as wine for EU laws but has been granted special status as “wine of appellation by tradition”

amount of resin is controlled, min acidity levels and alcohol

43
Q

retsina premium bottlings have what feature?

A

there might be some assyrtiko in the blend

44
Q

pdo in greece is called

A

POP (Prostatevmeni Onomasia Proelefsis)

45
Q

pdo laws in greece are mainly regulating what?

A

yields and varieties (local) only Naoussa controls ageing

46
Q

PGI name in greece and how much production

A

PGE (prostatevmeni geografiki endiksi 62% of production, less strict and use of internation variety

47
Q

how is a wine labeled if is not a PDO or PGI

A

“wines from greece” high volume brands, blend from different regions 18% of total production

48
Q

macedonia 2 main climates and PDO

A
  1. mountains - continental, altitude and good rainfall (650-700), naoussa and amynteo pdo
  2. plains - warm mediterranean, mountains rain shadow effect, fertile soils (high volume) - drama and kaval pdo
49
Q

naoussa/amynteo grape

A

xinomavro 100%

50
Q

drama/kavala pdo grapes

A

assyrtiko/malagousia
drama also famous for Bordeaux varietals, also chard and sauv in more altitude sites

51
Q

naoussa climatic influences

A

south eastern slopes of Moutn Vermio 150-400mt sheltered from cold winds from north west but still cool area

52
Q

style of naoussa wines

A

high acidity/tannins, long ageing, mid price till ultra premium old vessels (traditional, now some are back to it for more restrained examples) barriques french (firmer tannins, more body and oak aromas), modern cold soaking/whole bunch

53
Q

what is the most important factors in naoussa

A

aspect and topography are more important than altitude

soils are too mixed (some producers are now doing village/single vineyards bottling)

54
Q

is rose permitted in naoussa?

A

no, only red

55
Q

naoussa best producers

A

thymiopoulos kir-yianni

56
Q

amynteo climatic features

A
  1. north west side of Mount Vermio - exposed to north cold winds (site selection is important)
  2. altitude 570-750
  3. lakes moderate temperature (essential because of the wind influences) but also risk of rot
  4. fertile soils (yields needs to be controlled)
  5. spring frost
57
Q

amynteo style

A
  1. xinomavro 100%, both red and rose
  2. lighter body and lowe tannins with floral quality
  3. there’s a research towards more concentrated styles (mostly on sandy soil philoxxera free and old vines)
58
Q

amynteo famous producer

A

alpha estate

59
Q

where is the region of peloponnese?

A

southern part of the mainland

60
Q

how big is the peloponnese?

A

largest vineyard plantings (30% total including grapes for drying) largest numbers of PDO (including nemea mantinia)

61
Q

peloponnese climatic features

A
  1. mountainos (poor rocky soils)
  2. altitude (moderate climates) - flatter land is around Patra more fertile soils (small area)
  3. easter winds bring rain but some is blocked by the mountains (especially towards east)
62
Q

main plantings in peloponnese

A

mainly white grapes (moschofilero roditis) inexpensive wines (roditis agiorgitiko)

high quality on high altitude sides in PGI Slopes of Algialla international varieties

63
Q

general location of nemea

A

peloponnese close to the corinth canal

64
Q

pdo laws on varietals and styles in nemea

A

100% agiorgitiko red and sweet (rare)

65
Q

nemea winemaking techniques

A
  1. 90s french barriques oak, now more subtle use
  2. semi-carbonic maceration to enhance flavours and keep tannins low
66
Q

best nemea producers

A

gaia tselepos

67
Q

three main areas of nemea

A
  1. valley floor (230-400mt) - hottest, fertile soil, inexpensive wines and high quality sweet
  2. mid zone (450-650mt) - best quality, free draining aoils, low yields, different soils and microclimates (cru system is starting now)
  3. high zone (650-1000mt) - agiorgitiko struggles to ripen, high acidity, harsh tannins, clay soils, some are starting to explore the area
68
Q

mantinia climate

A

cold and high altitude (600mt starting) long growing season (harvest october/november) in coldest years grapes don’t ripen

69
Q

main grape of mantinia

A

85% min moschofilero (all high quality are 100%)

70
Q

moschofilero in mantinia style

A

high acidity, low to med alcohol, medium to min body, floral and spicy aroma fermented in staniless steel

71
Q

best producers in mantinia

A

boutari semeli estate

72
Q

greek island climate problem

A

aegean sea strong winds - brings low rainfall soils of islands are rock soils with poor water retention wine is too expensive to make, winemakers are selling land for tourist developments

73
Q

most famous islands and wine produced

A

santorini (cyclades island group)
paros (cyclades) - still and sweet
tinos (cyclades)
samos (north aegean) - sweet
lemnos (north aegean) - sweet
crete - indigenous varieties

74
Q

volcanic origin of santorini

A

lies on a volcano, in the last major eruption (1500BCE) much of the island collapsed leaving a central submerged crater (called caldera) the island today is just the eastern rim of the volcano

75
Q

what is caldera?

A

central submerged crater of the volcano of santorini

76
Q

main climatic problem of Santorini

A

strong winds

77
Q

main trellising solution for winds

A

basket shape canopy (usually in a hollow)
the vines are woven into previous year’s growth

if it gets too bulky (20yr) is cut off and the new basket is started from a shoot
requires 4 times the labour of a normal trellis

78
Q

is vsp used in santorini?

A

someone is experimenting with it but it has been controversial with traditionalists

79
Q

huge advantage of the santorini basket shape

A

traps the moisture from the morning fog coming from the caldera

80
Q

planting density for santorini

A

really low because of low water supply 2500 vines per ha

81
Q

age of the vines in santorini

A

no philloxera problem some roots or trunks have more than 400yr

82
Q

pdo laws in santorini

A

60hl/ha (lowest in greece, old vines are around 15hl/ha)

white wine only (dry 75%min assyrtiko and sweet 51% min assyrtiko, mostly single varietal)

83
Q

volcanic soil main feature

A

very infertile - low yielding

84
Q

santorini’s assyrtiko style

A

high acidity medium to high alcohol smoky charachter, honey toast with age mostly stainless steel (maintain primary) some experiment with oak and lees (more body) good to oustanding, mid to premium prices

85
Q

santorini’s vinsanto technique and ageing

A

late harvest, dried in the sun for up to two weeks

2yr oak (usually longer), not fully filled cask for oxidation

200-300g/l sugars still high acidity

86
Q

main estates in santorini

A

argyros sigalas

87
Q

co-op history in greece

A

instituted in 20s by the greek government to revitalise the industry - mostly cheap product (apart from Samos co-op for high quality sweets) recently after the 80s quality was raised as consumer where more aware of products and to cope with raising quality of competition from estates

88
Q

estates current status in greece

A

7000 grape growers with small plots, 1000 active wineries most of the product is sold locally, bulk or to co-op/large companies increasing numbers of new estates in the last 10 years that are selling their own wines

89
Q

greek wines export

A

13% total

germany makes it for 40% of it
also scandinavia, Benelux (mostly cheap)

high quality US and canada, australia and UK

90
Q

pros and cons of greek wines in export market

A

pro excellent value (because of weak economy) local varieties are points of difference cons local varieties hard to remember alphabet is hard to read

91
Q

main problem of domestic market

A

many greeks love international varieties so the domestic market is completely different from the export

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