Greece Flashcards
What is Retsina?
Aromatized wine flavoured with Aleppo pine resin.
It cannot have the vintage on the label.
Which grape is used for the production of Retsina?
Savatiano and Roditis
When were most of the country’s appellations established in Greece?
1971.
What are the DOP levels in Greece?
- (AOC/OPE) - controlled appellation of origin reserved for traditional sweet wines
- (AOSQ/OPAP) - appellation of superior quality
- PDO Wines of Greece - will appear on current and future labels featuring a designation of origin
- PGI - for “Varietal” and “table” wines
What are the ageing requirements if “Reserve” is mentioned on a Greek label?
White - min 1 year with min 6 months in barrel and 3 months in bottle
Red - min 2 years with min 1 year in barrel and 6 months in bottle
What are the ageing requirements if “Grand Reserve” is mentioned on a Greek label?
White - min 2 years with 1 year min in barrel and 6 months in bottle
Red - min 4 years with min 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle
What is Verdea?
An PGI oxidative style of white wine produced on the island of Zakynthos from min 50% Skiadopoulo and Pavlos, Asprorobola or Goustolidi. Similar to Sherry or vin jaune of Jura.
How are the new PGI designations of Greece divided?
Region - equivalent to the major regions of Greece
District - correspond to the peripheral units of Greece
Area - they are so small that they may only include a single estate.
What does “Cava” indicate on a Greek PGI wine label?
- min 1 year ageing for white and rose with min 6 months in oak
- min 3 years ageing for reds with min 1 year in oak
What does “Palaiomenos se vareli” indicate?
Oak ageing beyond the required minimum.
What are the wine regions of Greece?
- Epirus
- Macedonia
- Thrace
- Thessalia
- Sterea Ellada (Central Greece)
- Peloponnese
- Ionian Islands
- Creta
- Aegean Islands

What are the PGI Districts for Retsina?
- Retsina Attiki
- Retsina Viotia
- Retsina Evia
PDOs of Macedonia.
- Amynteo
- Goumenissa
- Naoussa
- Slopes of Meliton

What is the only grape authorized in Naoussa and Amynteo?
Xinomavro.
Rich and firmly tannic.
What are the grapes used in Goumenissa PDO?
Xinomavro with at least 20% Negoska. Lighter style.
When was Naoussa established? Give one producer.
1971.
Boutari.
Where is Domaine Carras located?
Its red is a blend of which grapes?
Slopes of Meliton, Macedonia, Greece.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and the native Limnio.
What are the PDOs of Thessalia?
- Anchialos
- Messenikola
- Rapsani

Where would you find the white grape Malagousia?
In Macedonia, Thessaloniki PGI district, saved from extinction by Evangelos Gerovassiliou from Domaine Caras.
Which other 2 grapes are blended with Xinomavro in Rapsani in order to soften it?
Krassato and Stavroto.
Which PDO in Thessalia allows white wines only?
Anchialos PDO.
Dry, off-dry or semi-sweet whites from Roditis and Savatiano.
Where is Zitsa PDO? Wines and styles?
Epirus, Greece.
Dry, semi-sweet and sparkling from Debina grape.
Which region is associated with Retsina?
Sterea Ellada (Central Greece). Attiki is the center of production.
What are the PDOs of Peloponese?
- Patras
- Muscat of Patras
- Muscat of Rio Patras
- Mavrodaphne of Patras
- Nemea
- Mantinia
- Monemvassia-Malvasia

Grapes and styles of wines of Nemea DOP.
Dry, semisweet, sweet from Agiorgitiko.
Mantinia PDO. Grapes and style?
min 85% Moschofilero (pink skinned) plus Asproudes.
Dry Whites (or Vin Gris style) and Sparkling (brut nature to doux).
What does Patras PDO produce?
Whites dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet from 100% Roditis.
Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Rio Patras are made with which grape?
Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains). Can be VDN or naturally sweet in style.
Mavrodaphne of Patras.
Sweet, fortified red from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki. - min 1 year in wood of 1000 liters or less before release - can be vintage or non-vintage
What kind of wines does Monemvassia-Malvasia produce?
VDN or naturally sweet from min 51 % Monemvassia grape + Assyrtiko, Asproudes, Kydonitsa. - must be oxidatively aged for min 2 years before release
PDOs of Ionian Islands? Grapes and styles?
- Robola of Cephalonia - dry whites from 100% Robola
- Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia - fortified sweet red - min 50% Mvrodaphne + Mavri Korinthiaki
- Muscat of Cephalonia - VDN, VDL, Naturally Sweet, VDN Grand Cru - 100% Moschato Aspro

What are the PDOs of Aegean Islands?
- Lemnos
- Muscat of Lemnos
- Samos
- Paros
- Malvasia Paros
- Santorini
- Rhodes
- Muscat of Rhodes

What are the PDOs of Creta?
- Sitia
- Peza
- Daphnes
- Archanes
- Candia
- Malvasia Candia
- Malvasia Sitia

Which is the most cultivated grape in Creta which is used in Peza and Sitia PDOs?
Vilana.
Which grape is preferred instead of Vilana in Crete, valued for its acidity?
Vidiano.
Which grape is used in the red wines of Sitia and Daphnes?
Liatiko
What is the most common red grape throughout the Aegean?
Mandilaria, blended with Kotsifali in the reds of Archanes and Peza PDOs.
On which island blending Kotsifali with Syrah is common?
Creta.
Which other 2 grapes may be blended with Assyrtiko on Santorini?
Athiri and Aidani.
How is the training system used in Santorini called?
Kouloura (also called Stefani). Close to the ground. Protection from Aegean winds and collection of moisture from the morning dew.
What is special about Paros PDO?
Is the only PDO that mandates the use of white grapes for the red wines. The white Monemvassia is used along with Mandilaria.
How is Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains called in Samos?
Moscato Aspro. Made in vin de liqueuer, VDN and naturally sweet.
What is Samos Nectar?
Naturally sweet wine produced on the Island of Samos in Greece from Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains. Produced from dried grapes and aged for min 3 years before release.
What are the styles allowed in Messenikola PDO? What are the authorised grapes?
Dry reds.
Min 70% Mavro Messenikola + max combined 30% Syrah and Carignan.
What are the prinicipal and secondary grapes in Rapsani PDO?
Xinomavro (principal)
Krassato and Stavroto (secondary)
Which mountain range is an extension of the Alps and forms the spine of Greece?
Pindos Mountains
The Aegean islands are divided into which 3 groups?
- Cyclades
- Dodecanese
- North Aegean (Sporades)

What are the requirements for Vin Santo Santorini PDO? State the main varietal, minimum must weight and minimum time in barrel.
- Minimum 51% Assyrtiko + Athiri and Aidani
- 370 g/l min must weight
- min 2 yrs in barrel if vintage dated and ageing must occur on the islands of Thera (Santorini) or Thirasia
- min 4 years oxidative ageing if no vintage is used; ageing statement the bottle may only be used as a multiple of 4 (4, 8, 12, 16 etc.)
How else can be called the Vinsanto produced in Santorini?
Liastos
What does Nykteri mean on a Santorini wine label?
Historical product of Santorini, made with very ripe grapes (mainly Assyrtiko but can also be blended with Athiri and Aidani) that are harvested before dawn and pressed within a day. The wine is then aged for a minimum of three months in barrel, though longer is common, and sometimes, flor develops. The result is a full-bodied, distinctive wine high in both alcohol and acidity.
What is Aspa?
It is the local name for the soil type of Santorini, volcanic rock and pumice.

Which PDO lies on the Sithonia Peninsula?
Slopes of Meliton PDO.
What are the PGI District Wines of Aegean Islands?
Chios
Cyclades
Dodecanese
Lesvos
Thassos
What are the authorised grapes for Malvasia Paros PDO?
Minimum 85% Monemvasia
Maximum 15% Assyrtiko
What are the grapes authorized in Lemnos PDO?
White: Moschato Alexandrias
Red: Limnio (Kalampaki)
What are the grapes allowed in Slopes of Meliton PDO?
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Lemnio and Cabernet Franc
White: Roditis, Assyrtiko, plus Athiri
Where is Sitia PDO? What are the authorized grapes?
Crete.
White: Min. 70% Vilana, plus Thrapsathiri
Red: 80% Liatiko, plus Mandilaria (Mandilari)
What is the grape of Patras PDO?
Roditis.
What is the minimum ageing requirement for Mavrodaphne of Patras “Grand Reserve”?
Min. 7 years, including a min. 3 years in oak and 3 years in the bottle.
What is the maximum amount of Aleppo Pine resin that can be added to Retsina wines? When may it be added to the wine?
Max 1kg/hl. Before the start or during alcoholic fermentation. (it is removed after)
Where is Robola of Cephalonia? Grapes and style?
Ionian Islands.
Dry whites from 100% Robola.
What is the minimum ageing requirement for Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO wines?
Min. 2 years in an oxidative environment
What is Kokkineli?
A rose Retsina made from the pink-skinned grape Roditis.
What are the two most planted grapes in Greece?
Savatiano and Roditis.
Name the two islands for Santorini PDO.
Thera (Santorini) and Thirasia.
What are the ageing requirements in Greece for:
- Selected or Reserve white
- Specially Selected or Grande Reserve white
- Selected or Reserve red
- Specially Selected or Grande Reserve red
- Selected or Reserve white – min 1 year including 6 months in oak and 3 months in bottle
- Specially Selected or Grande Reserve white – min 2 years including 1 year in oak and 6 months in bottle
- Selected or Reserve red – min 2 year including 1 year in oak and 6 months in bottle
- Specially Selected or Grande Reserve red – min 4 years including 18 months in oak and 18 months in bottle
What is the percentage of fruit provenance for PDO wines in Greece?
100%
What is Tsipouro?
Greek grappa used for fortification.
Which are the only two PDOs in Greece allowing international varieties?
Slopes of Meliton and Messenikola.
What does the term Liastos indicate?
Sweet wine from dried grapes.
Where is Daphnes PDO? What are the authorised grapes?
Creta, 100% Liatiko.
What is the percentage of fruit provenance for PGI wines in Greece?
85%
What are the Greek generic terms used for white and red grapes respectively?
Asproudi for white grapes (aspro means white)
Mavroudi (mavro means black)
To which wine would the term Grand Cru refer to in Greece?
Sweet wines, made via the vin doux naturel process, that are sourced from select vineyards of a given region, typically from higher elevation sites.
Which other training method than Kouloura is it used in Santorini?
Kladeftiko - a type of bush vines training method that resembles alberello