Greece Flashcards
What is the name for the Greek colony in modern day Marseilles that is said to be where French viticulture was born?
Massalia
What is Retsina traditionally flavored with?
Aleppo pine resin
What is the grape of Retsina? May it carry a vintage date?
Savaatiano
May not carry a vintage date
What type of appellation is Retsina protected under? What is this the EU equivalent to?
Traditional Appellation
IGP
What are two of the largest producers in Greece?
Boutari and Tsantali
When did Greece first implement wine laws and when were most of the country’s appellations established?
1969 and 1970 for establishment
Most were established in 1971
What organization oversees the protection and designation of wines in Greece?
Greek Wine Institute
What are the two levels of PDO in Greece? Which is reserved for traditional sweet wines?
Controlled Appellation of Origin (AOC/OPE)
Reserved for traditional sweet wines
Appellation of Superior Quality (AOSQ/OPAP)
What will be present on bottles of PDO wine?
“PDO Wines of Greece”
Which Greek wines may carry a vintage date?
Controlled Appellation of Origin (AOC/OPE)
Appellation of Superior Quality (AOSQ/OPAP)
What are the two designations for aging on Greek PDO wines? What are the requirements for red and white? What is the aging designation for PGI Greek wines? What are the requirements for white/rosé and red?
Reserve and Grand Reserve for PDO
white:
Reserve:
min 1 year aging with 6 months in barrel, 3 months in bottle
Grand Reserve:
min 2 years aging with 1 year in barrel, 6 months in bottle
Red:
Reserve:
min 2 years aging with 1 year in barrel, 6 months in bottle
Grand Reserve:
min 4 years aging with 18 months in barrel, 18 months in bottle
Cava for PGI
white/rosé:
min 1 year of aging with 6 months in oak
red:
min 3 years of aging with 1 year in oak
What are the two PGI designations of Greece? Which may carry vintage and varietal, which may not? What are the three area levels of Greek PGI wine?
Varietal and Table
Varietal may carry a vintage date and varietal
Table may not
Three levels:
Regional
District
Area
What are the two Traditional Appellation wines produced in Greece?
Retsina
Verdea
What is the name of the former vin de pays category that was integrated into the PGI scheme in Greece?
Topikos Inos
What are the three area levels of PGI designation in Greece?
Regional
District
Area
PGI Regions are the equivalent of major regions of Greece such as Peloponnese and Crete, whereas PGI areas are so small that sometimes they may only include a single estate. PGI districts correspond to the peripheral units of Greece, a form of political state that replaced political prefectures during administrative reform in 2010
Palaiomenos se vareli indicates what? What age designations does this apply to?
indicates oak aging beyond the required minimums
applies to Reserve and Grand Reserve wines for PDO
also applies to Cava wines for PGI
What is the term used for Greek PDO and PGI wines indicating oak aging beyond the required minimums?
Palaiomenos se vareli
What are the 6 PGI Regions of the mainland of Greece?
Macedonia Epirus Peloponnese Thessalia Thrace Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)
What are the 2 Greek Island PGI Regions?
Aegean Islands
Ionian Islands
What is Verdea? What is the main grape? What is the min %?
an oxidative white wine produced on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea
min 50% Skiadopoulo
Which PGI region of Greece is home to Greece’s best dry red wines? What are the PDOs of this region?
Macedonia
Naoussa
Amynteo
Goumenissa
Slopes of Meliton (Plaiges Melitona)
What is the main red grape of Naoussa and Amynteo?
Xinomavro
What does Xinomavro mean?
acid black
What are the grape requirements for Goumenissa PDO?
Xinomavro with min 20% Negoska
May Goumenissa PDO reds be varietal?
Must be blends of Xinomavro with min 20% Negoska
Where is Boutari located?
Naoussa PDO
What is the coolest region in Greece? What styles are produced here?
Amynteo PDO
Dry red, rosé, and sparkling rosé (dry and semi-sweet)
What is the name of the PDO for Domaine Carras? What red grapes are the star of blends here? What are the star white grapes blended here?
Slopes of Meliton (Plaiges Melitona)
Red Blends:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Limnio
White Blends:
Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Rhoditis
Slopes of Meliton is a PDO for which estate?
Domaine Carras
Who is responsible for reviving Malagousia from extinction and under what PGI is he making varietal wines from the grape? Who was his mentor?
Evangelos Gerovassiliou, winemaker that launched Domaine Carras.
Thessaloniki PGI in northern Macedonia
Emile Peynaud