Greece Flashcards
Retsina make you healthy
Retsina is one of only two traditional PGIs (the other is Verdea), and while the wine can be made anywhere, production tends to be concentrated in Central Greece. Within that region are 15 different appellations that can be listed on the label. They are Gialtra, Evia, Karystos, Viotia, Thebes, Halkida, Megara, Attica, Pallini, Pikermi, Spata, Mesogia, Markopoulos, Peania, and Koropi.
Retsina and Aleppo pine trees.
Legally, the resin, which is extracted from Aleppo pine trees (Pinus halepensis), can account for 0.15 to 1.0% of the wine’s final volume.
Retsina type and labelling
Must be produced exclusively from the Savatiano and Roditis varieties.
Retsina Rose
As Roditis is pink-skinned, it can be used to create a rosé of Retsina called Kokkineli.
Santorini Vinsanto Authorized Varieties…
Min. 51% Assyrtiko, plus Athiri, Aidani, and “small amounts” of other traditional grapes, including Katsanó, Monemvassia, Gaidouria, Moschato Aspro, Platani and Roditis
Vinsanto Minimum Potential / Actual Alcohol:
Vinsanto: 15% (21% after drying process) / 9%
Fortified Dried Grape Wine: 15% / 15-21%
Minimum Must Weight Vinsanto
(Vinsanto): 260 g/l prior to drying; 370 g/l after drying
Vinsanto Aging Requirements …
Aging Requirements:
Επιλεγμένος (“Selected”) or Réserve: These terms are only allowed for dry wines, and are interchangeable. Selected/Réserve wines must age for a minimum 1 year, including at least 6 months in oak barrels and 3 months in bottle.
Ειδικά Επιλεγμένος (“Specially Selected”) or Grande Réserve: Also interchangeable and authorized only for dry wines, these terms require at least 2 years of aging, including a minimum 1 year in oak barrels and 6 months in bottle.
Vinsanto: Vintage wines must be aged for at least 2 years in barrels, and aging must occur on the islands of Thera or Thirasia. If released with an aging statement rather than a vintage, vinsanto must have been aged in an oxidative manner for at least 4 years. The aging statement on the bottle may only be listed as a multiple of 4 (8, 12, 16, etc.).
Samos PDO wine styles …
Sweet Wine: 13%
Natural Sweet Wine: 14%
Natural Sweet Wine from Specified vineyards: 14.8%
Naturally Sweet Wine: 14.8% (17.6% after being Sun Dried)
Samos PDO Authorized Varieties…
Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)
Samos PDO Additional Requirements…
Natural Sweet Wine from Specified vineyards are must be handpicked [?]
VDN wines must be fortified during fermentation with alcohol of vinous origin of a minimum 95% alc. per volume, to between 5% - 10% of the volume of the spent mash, or 40% of the total volume of the finished product.
VDL wines must be fortified prior to fermentation with alcohol of vinous origin of a minimum 95% alc. per volume. A maximum 1% alcohol from fermentation is allowed.
Chaptalization and addition of concentrate grape must is not allowed.
Vineyards must be older than 3 years before harvesting and are to be trained without trellising in the “Goblet” fashion.
Naturally Sweet Wine (Sun Dried): grapes must obtain a minimum 300 g/l sugar content before vinification.
Asproudi (plural: Asproudes)?
A generic term for unknown white grapes (aspro means “white”).
Cava …
For PGI and Varietal wines only. Refers to a minimum of oak aging. For white and rosé wines, this is one year of aging with at least six months in barrel. For reds, three years of aging with at least one year in barrel.
Grand cru …
Applies to certain sweet wines, made via the vin doux naturel process, that are sourced from select vineyards of a given region, typically from higher elevation sites.
Grand/Grande reserve…
For PDO wines only. Refers to a minimum of oak aging. For white wines, this is two years of aging with at least one year in barrel and six months in bottle. For reds, four years of aging with at least 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle. White grande reserve wines cannot be aged in barrels larger than 600 liters.
The Grapes of Greece
Regions of Greece Area Planted
