Greece Flashcards
When and where did vine cultivation begin in Greece?
Around 2500 BCE in the Minoan Bronze Age Civilization of Crete
Who cultivated vines in Greece after the Minoans?
The Myceneans
Where were the first vineyards in France?
Massalia, a Greek colony at modern-day Marseilles
Which modern Italian varieties may be Greek in origin?
Greco and Aglianico
What is retsina?
Aromatized wine flavored with pine resin
How did retsina get its start?
In ancient times, wine was shipped in amphorae, sealed with pine resin. People became accustomed to the flavor.
What grape is used to make modern-day retsina?
Savvatiano
Can Retsina carry a vintage?
No
Is Retsina a PDO?
No, but it is protected by the EU as a PGI.
What is the negative stemming from Retsina, as it pertains to worldview of Greek Wine?
It is ultimately negative, people associate low-quality Retsina with all of Greek wine
What are the two larger producers dominating Greek wine industry today?
Boutari and Tsantali
How many indigenous varietals exist in Greece?
Over 300!
When did Greece first implement wine law?
In 1969 & 1970, with most appellations created in 1971
What is Greece’s governing wine body?
The Greek Wine Institute
What are some factors of Greek Wine Law?
They conform to EU standards and follow the French model
What is the main designation for high-quality Greek wine? How is it broken down?
PDO (Protected Designation of Origin); broken down into Controlled Appellation of Origin (AOC) for sweet wines, and Appellation of Superior Quality (AOSQ)
Do AOC or AOSQ appear on labels?
No, they all say “PDO Wines of Greece”
What does “Reserve” mean in Greece?
Min 1 year aging for whites, 6 months in barrel and 3 months in bottle. Min 2 years for reds, at least 1 year in barrel and 6 months in bottle.
What is “Grand Reserve?”
Whites: 2 years, 1 year in barrel & 6 months in bottle
Reds: 4 years, 18 months in both barrel and bottle
What other designations exist for Greece besides PDO?
PGI, “varietal” wines, and “table” wines
Which wines fall under the PGI category?
Retsina, Verdea, and wines of Greece’s former “vine de pays” category, Topikos Inos.
How are PGI zones divided?
Regional, District and Area levels
What do PGI Districts correspond to?
The peripheral units of Greece, form of political state that replaced prefectures in 2010
What does “Cava” mean on a label?
Indicates 1 year aging for PGI whites (6mo. in oak), 3 years for reds (1 year in oak)
What is “Palaiomenos se vareli?”
It may appear on PGI wine labels to indicate additional aging
What are the regions of the Greek mainland?
Macedonia, Epirus, Peloponnese, Thessalia, Thrace, and Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
What are the two groups of islands?
The Ionian Islands and the Aegean Islands
Which regions on the mainland have no PDO appellations?
Thrace and Sterea Ellada
What is Macedonia best known for?
It is home to some of Greece’s best dry reds
How are the reds of Naoussa PDO & Amynteo PDO different from those of Goumenissa PDO?
They are made from 100% Xinomavro, whereas Goumenissa blends Xinomavro with a min. 20% Negoska
What producer calls Naoussa home?
Boutari
What is Greece’s coolest region? What is unique about wines produced here?
Amynteo, it is one of the only places authorized for Rosé wines.
What styles are authorized for Amynteo?
Dry red, dry rosé, both dry & semi-sweet sparkling rosé
Which Macedonian PDO is home to only one producer? Which producer, and why are they important?
Slopes of Meliton is a single appellation for Domaine Carras, a trailblazing producer.
What are Slopes of Meliton PDO red wines?
Dry reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, with the addition of Cabernet Franc and Lemnio
What is Lemnio?
A red variety originating on the Aegean Island of Lemnos
What are Slopes of Meliton PDO whites comprised of?
Roditis, Assyrtiko, and some Athiri
Who helped Evangelos Gerovassiliou create Domaine Carras?
Emile Peynaud
What grape did Evangelos Gerovassiliou save from near extinction?
Malagousia, highly aromatic white grape that he now grows in the Thessaloniki PGI in Northern Macedonia
What are the PDO appellations of Thessalia?
Rapsani, Anchiolas, and Messenikola
What PDO is the southernmost outpost of Xinomavro?
Rapsani, in Thessalia
What PDO in Thessalia allows only white wines? From which grapes must these wines be produced?
Anchiolas PDO, white wines from Roditis and Savvatiano
Which region includes only one PDO? Where is it located?
The region of Epirus, west of Thessalia, has one PDO: Zitsa
What styles/grapes are allowed in Zitsa PDO?
Dry whites, dry and semi-dry sparkling wines made from Debina
What is the most important wine of Sterea Ellada (Central Greece)?
Retsina
Where is the center for Retsina production?
Attiki, the region surrounding Athens in Sterea Ellada
What is the main grape of Retsina? Why?
Savvatiano, it retains varietal character when resinated
What is Roditis?
2nd most utilized grape for Retsina, a common name for a family of closely linked pink-skinned grapes
What is the Peloponnese?
A peninsula, only by virtue of the narrow Isthmus of Corinth
Where are vines concentrated in the Peloponnese?
the north, around the 3 PDO zones of Nemea, Mantinia and Patras
What styles are allowed in Nemea PDO?
both dry and sweet reds made from Agiorgitiko
What is Agiorgitiko?
A softly tannic, intensely fruity black grape and one of Greece’s most noble native varieties
What is the most famous subzone of Nemea?
Koutsi
What is the nickname of the wines of Nemea? To what does it refer?
“blood of Hercules,” it commemorates the 1st of his famous 12 labors
What do PDO zones of the Peloponnese aside from Nemea solely produce?
white wines
What wines are produced in Mantinia PDO?
White wines made from the red-skinned Moschofilero grape
What is the defining characteristic of Moschofilero?
It possesses an aromatic intensity similar to Muscat
What are the appellations of Patras?
Patras PDO, Muscat of Patras PDO, Muscat of Rio Patras PDO, and Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO
What are the styles/grapes of the PDOs of Patras?
Patras PDO: Dry whites/100% Roditis
Muscat of Patras PDO: VDL, VDN, Sweet wine from Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat of Rio Patras: Same as Muscat of Patras
Mavrodaphne of Patras: Sweet reds made from Mavrodaphne w/addition of max. 49% Mavri Korinthiaki
What is Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains referred to as?
Moschato Aspro
What is the aging requirement for Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO?
min. 1 year in oak, though many age far longer
When did Monemvassia-Malvasia achieve PDO status?
2010
Where is Monemvassia located?
It’s a small zone on the southeastern coast of Peloponnese
What style of wine is produced in Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO?
Sweet whites/Fortified sweet whites made from min. 51% Monemvassia
What is the aging requirement for Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO wines?
Minimum 2 years, if aged longer can be 4 years, and in multiples of 4 after that
What are the wine-producing Ionian Islands?
Cephalonia, Kerkyra (Corfu), Lefkada, and Zakynthos
What are the PDO zones of the Ionian Islands?
All in Cephalonia:
Robola of Cephalonia PDO
Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia PDO
Muscat of Cephalonia PDO
What is the only PDO for dry wines in the Ionian Islands?
Robola of Cephalonia PDO, dry whites made from Robola grape
What is Verdea?
A high-alcohol content, dry PGI wine that resembles sherry or vin jaune, made on the Ionian Island of Zakynthos
What are the grapes used to make Verdea?
Skiadopoulo Pavlos Robola Goustolidi Avgoustiatis
What are the Aegean Island PDOs?
Lemnos, Paros, Rhodes, Santorini, Samos, Muscat of Rhodes, Muscat of Lemnos, Malvasia Paros
Which island accounts for 20% of Greek Wine production?
Crete
What styles are produced in Archanes PDO?
Dry red wines from Kotsifali and Mandilaria
What styles are produced in Dafnes PDO?
Dry red, sweet red, VDN and VDL from 100% Liatiko grape
What styles are produced in Peza PDO?
Dry whites from 100% Vilana, Dry reds from both Kotsifali and Mandilaria
What styles are produced in Sitia PDO?
Dry white & red, red VDN, red VDL, dried grape wine
What are the grapes used in Sitia PDO?
White: Min. 70% Vilana, plus Thrapsathiri
Red: 80% Liatiko, plus Mandilaria
Natural Sweet Red Wine: 100% Liatiko
What is the most cultivated white grape of Crete?
Vilana
What are the Cyclades Islands?
A group of islands within Aegean, including Santorini and Paros
What is Nychteri?
Dry white made in Santorini from Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Aidani.
What are the rules for Nychteri?
Must be aged in barrel at least 3 months, min. 13.5% alcohol
What is Samos Nectar?
A vin de paille made from Moscato Aspro in Samos, with minimum 3 years aging
What’s Liatiko?
The dominant red grape of Crete, ripens in mid-July and produces distinctively “orange” wines
What international variety is commonly blended with Mandilaria on Crete?
Syrah
What is the training method of Santorini? What is the reason behind this method?
Vines are trained low to the ground in “stefani” shape of baskets or wreaths, so that they are protected from the fierce Aegean winds and receive what little moisture becomes available as morning dew.
Where is Greek vinsanto made? What grapes are used?
Santorini, min. 51% Assyrtiko, plus Athiri and Aidani
What is made in Lemnos?
Dry and sweet red and white, from Lemnio (Red) and Moschato Alexandrias (White)
What wines are made in Rhodes?
All 3 colors, dry, semi-dry and semisweet, whites from min. 70% Athiri, reds/roses from min. 70% Mandilaria
What is the only Greek appellation that mandates the use of white grapes in red wines?
Paros!
