Greece Flashcards
What is modern day retsina?
white wine, from Savatiano grapes, and flavored with the addition of Aleppo pine resin. Cannot be vintage dated
Name some of the larger producers in Greece?
Boutari (Naoussa PDO) and Tsantali
Who regulates wine regions in Greece?
Greek Wine Institute - appellation laws conform to EU standards and resemble the French model
List the desiginations of Origin for labeling in Greece?
Two levels of PDO: Controlled Appellation of Origin, or Οίνοι Ονομασία
AOC/OPE - for sweet wines
AOSQ/OPAP - superior quality
What are age designation requirements for ‘Reserve’ in Greece?
Réserve - white wines 1 year with at least 6 mon in barrel/3 mon in bottle, red wines 2 years with 1 year in barrel and 6 mon in bottle.
What are age designation requirements for ‘ Grand Reserve’ in Greece?
Grande Réserve white wines min 2 year aging, including at least 1 year in barrel and 6 months in bottle. Red min 4year aging, including at least 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle.
How are Varietal wines, and Table wines classified in Greece?
As PGI
Varietal wines carry a vintage and variety on the label, whereas ordinary Table wines cannot
How is PGI zones divided in Greece?
divided into regional, district, and area levels: PGI regions are equivalent to the major regions of Greece
What are some Traditional PGI zones in Greece?
Retsina and Verdea
Topikos Inos *former Vin de Pays category
What does ‘Cava’ (Kava) indicate on a Greek wine label?
White & Rose -at least 1 year of aging/least six months in oak
Reds -minimum 3 years of aging/in barrel for at least 1 year
What does ‘Palaiomenos se vareli’ indicate on a Greek wine label?
indicate oak aging beyond the required minimums. Can be added to label of Cava, Réserve, or Grande Réserve
What regions are located within the Greek mainland?
Macedonia, Epirus, Peloponnese, Thessalia, Thrace, and Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
How are the Greek islands catergorized?
Aegean and Ionian Islands
Where is the firmly tannic red grape Xinomavro (“acid black”) solely produced?
Macedonia’s PDO regions of Naoussa and Amynteo
Goumenissa PDO wines?
lighter Xinomavro wines requiring the addition of at least 20% Negoska
What is one of Greece’s most successful appellations?
Naoussa PDO, established in 1971 home of Boutari, one of Greece’s two largest producers and a major force in the modern rejuvenation
What is Greece’s coolest region? What wines are grown there?
Amynteo, one of the few PDOs allowing production of rosé wines; these may range from dry to semisweet, and be still or sparkling
What producer is a monopole in Slopes of Meliton PDO, Macedonia?
Domaine Carras. Winemaker Evangelos Gerovassiliou received international acclaim for saving native white Malagousia grape from the brink of extinction
Where is Rapsani PDO?
Thessalia. Lower slopes of Mount Olympus, southernmost region for Xinomavro grape, blended with Krassato and Stavroto varieties. Had 4
What other grapes are grown in the Slopes of Meliton PDO?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and the native Limnio.
Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Roditis
What are some other PDOs that produce red wine only?
Messenikola PDO, Thessalia
What are some other PDOs that produce white wine only?
Anchialos PDO, Thessalia
from Roditis and Savvatiano
What important PDOs are located in Peloponnese?
Nemea - red only
Mantinia, and Patras - white only
What other name is Agiorgitiko know by in Nemea PDO?
called the blood of Hercules (or blood of the lion)
Where is Moschofilero, a red-skinned grape that is aromatically similar to Muscat important?
Mantinia PDO, Peloponnese
What wine styles are in Patras PDO, Pelopponese?
Dry-semi sweet whites from 100% Roditis, as well as dessert wines.
Where would you find a vin doux natural wine in Greece?
Muscat of Patras & Muscat of Rio Patras, Peloponnese. Produced from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
What is a fortified wine example from Greece?
Mavrodaphne (“black laurel”) a sweet, fortified red wine from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki, a currant grape useful for enriching the sugar content of the wine.
What are some aging requirments for Mavrodaphne of Patras, Pelopponese?
aged for at least 1 year in wood, but may sometimes rest in cask for a decade or more prior to bottling. Both vintage and nonvintage versions are produced.
Who is a famous producer of Mavrodaphne of Patras?
The estate of Achaia Clauss, progenitor of the style, has a Mavrodaphne solera dating to 1882
Where is Monemvassia-Malvasia?
Peloponesse, awarded PDO in 2010. Must be sweet wines, aged oxidatively for 2 years.
How many islands are there in Ionian?
4 islands.
Cephalonia is the only one with PDOs where dry whites and sweet wines are produced
Robola of Cephalonia PDO, Ionian Islands styles?
for dry white wines produced from Robola, a variety unrelated to the Ribolla or Rebula found in Friuli or Slovenia
What is the largest and southernmost Greek isle?
Crete, accounts for 20% of total Greek wine production. PDOs for both red and white wines.
What is Crete’s most cultivated white grape?
The Vilana grape. Most talented winemakers prefer Vidiano, a white grape that retains more acidity.
Which ancient grape variety delivers a distinctively orange-hued wine?
Liatiko, the dominant red grape in Sitia & Daphnes PDO, found only on Crete and nearby islands. Ripens in mid-July
What is the most common red variety throughout the Aegean?
Mandilaria, is blended with Kotsifali
Where is Santorini PDO located?
North of Crete, Cycladic islands
Define stefani
means shape of baskets or wreaths. Vines are trained on Santorini to protect from fierce Aegean winds and to collect morning dew.
Describe Assyrtiko
Grown on Santorini, in porr volcanic soils, most compelling white grapes distinctively mineral, powerful, and high in acidity. Barrel aged and fresh versions available.
What is Vinsanto?
sweet, dried grape wine on Santorini
Paros PDO, Aegean Islands
Paros is the only Greek appellation that mandates use of a white grape (Monemvassia) in red blends
What is a famous wine from Samos, Aegean Islands?
Moscato Aspro (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), vin de liqueur, vin doux naturel and naturally sweet versions. The naturally sweet version is called Samos Nectar, and is similar to vin de paille produced from dried grapes and aged for a min 3 years.
Where is Rhodes?
Macedonia. An island much closer to southern Asia Minor than Greece itself.
Red, white, rose from Mandilaria and Athiri
When did phylloxera hit Greece?
Peloponnese 1960s and Crete 1970s
What are the key grapes to Thrace?
Roditis, Limnio
What are the key grapes to Macedonia and Thessalia?
Xinomavro
What are the key grapes to Epirus?
Debina 100%
What are the key grapes to Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
Savatiano
What are the key grapes to Peloponnese?
Agiorghitiko, Moschofilero
What are the key grapes to Ionian Islands?
Robola, Tsaoussi
What are the key grapes to Aegean Islands?
Athiri, Mandelaria, Muscat, Assyrtico
What are the key grapes to Crete?
Vidiano, Vilana, Liatiko, Kotsifali
Which regions do not have any PDOs?
Thrace and Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
