Greece

Question 1

Retsina wine facts

Answer 1

An aromatized wine flavored with Aleppo pine resin

Produced from Savvatiano grapes, flavored with the addition of pine resin, Roditis as well

It cannot be labeled with a vintage

A traditional appellation protected by the EU (as a PGI), and rarely encountered outside of Greece

Question 2

The two largest producers of Greece

Answer 2

Boutari and Tsantali

Question 3

What year was most of Greece’s appellations established?

Answer 3

1971

Question 4

What are the two levels of PDO quality wine?

Answer 4

Controlled Appellation of Origin - A status reserved for traditional sweet wines

Appellation of Superior Quality

Question 5

PDO wines may carry an aging designation such as

Answer 5

“Reserve” for whites - A minimum 1 year aging with at least 6 months in barrel and 3 months in bottle.

“ Reserve” for reds - A minimum of 2 years aging with at least 1 year in barrel and 6 months in bottle

“Grand Reserve” for whites - A minimum 2 years aging with 1 year in barrel and 6 months in bottle

“Grand Reserve” for reds - A minimum 4 years of aging with at least 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle

Question 6

What is Verdea?

Answer 6

An oxidative white wine produced on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea

Question 7

What does the term “Cava” indicate?

Answer 7

At least 1 year of aging for white and rose PGI wines including 6 months in oak prior to bottling.

A minimum of 3 years of aging for reds including a minimum 1 year in barrel prior to bottling

Question 8

“Palaiomenos se vareli” may be added to the label of Cava, Reserve, or Grand Reserve wines to indicate what?

Answer 8

Oak aging beyond the required minimums

Question 9

The PDO regions of Macedonia include

Answer 9

Amynteo PDO

Goumenissa PDO

Naoussa PDO

Slopes of Meliton PDO

Question 10

Xinomavro

Answer 10

A firmly tannic red grape (“acid black”)

Question 11

Naoussa PDO

Answer 11

Established in 1971, home to Boutari

Produces tannic reds solely from Xinomavro

Question 12

Amynteo PDO

Answer 12

Greece’s coolest region and one of the few PDOs allowing production of rose wines. Roses may be dry to semisweet, and still or sparkling

Question 13

Goumenissa PDO

Answer 13

Produces lighter Xinomavro wines with the addition of at least 20% Negoska

Question 14

Slopes of Meliton PDO

Answer 14

(Plagies Melitona) is a single appellation for Domaine Carras, an ambitious Greek estate

Question 15

Red and White varietals from Domaine Carras estate

Answer 15

Reds are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and the native Limnio

Whites are blends of the Greek varietals Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Rhoditis

Question 16

Evangelos Gerovassiliou

Answer 16

The winemaker who launched Domaine Carras under the guidance of Émile Peynaud

Question 17

The native white Malagousia grape

Answer 17

Evangelos Gerovassiliou helped revive the grape and now produces it at his own domaine in the PGI district of Thessaloniki in northern Macedonia

Question 18

The PDOs of Thessalia

Answer 18

Anchialos PDO

Messenikola PDO

Rapsani PDO

Question 19

Rapsani PDO

Answer 19

The appellation is the southernmost outpost of the Xinomavro grape

Tannins and acid structure are softened by the warmer climate and mandatory blending with the lighter Krassato and Stavroto grapes

Question 20

Messenikola PDO

Answer 20

Produces red wines in similar style to Rapsani

Question 21

Anchialos PDO

Answer 21

Only allows white wine blended from Roditis and Savvatiano grapes

Question 22

The region of Epirus contains only one PDO. What is it?

Answer 22

Zista

Dry, semisweet, and sparkling wines are produced from the Debina grape

Question 23

Central Greece or Sterea Ellada

Answer 23

The region of Attiki is the center of production for the Retsina grape here

Question 24

The PDOs of Peloponnese

Answer 24

Nemea PDO

Mantinia PDO

Patras PDO

Monemvasia-Malvasia PDO

Question 25

Nemea PDO

Answer 25

Produced exclusively from the Agiorgitiko (St. George) grape. A softly tannic, intensely fruity black grape The commume of Koutsi is one of the most famous subzones “Blood of Hercules” (or “blood of the lion”) is sometimes attached to the wines of Nemea

Question 26

Mantinia PDO

Answer 26

Moschofilero is the principal component, an aromatic resemblance to Muscat

Question 27

Patras PDO

Answer 27

An appellation for dry white wines produced from 100% Roditis

Question 28

The three dessert wine PDO zones of Patras

Answer 28

Muscat of Patras Muscat of Rio Patras Mavrodaphne of Patras

Question 29

Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Rio Patras

Answer 29

May be either vin doux naturel or naturally sweet in style Produced from Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains

Question 30

Mavrodaphne (“black laurel”) of Patras

Answer 30

A sweet fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki Aged at least 1 year in wood prior to release and sometimes aged in cask for a decade or more prior to bottling Both vintage and nonvintage versions may be encountered

Question 31

The estate of Achaia-Clauss

Answer 31

Has a Mavrodaphne Solera dating to 1882

Question 32

Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO

Answer 32

Did not come on the market until 2012, a small zone on the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese Monemvassia is the name of the grape used and also the name of an old port town The wines must be aged in an oxidative environment for at least two years

Question 33

The four wine-producing Ionian Islands of the west coast of Greece

Answer 33

Cephalonia Kerkyra (Corfu) Lefkada Zakynthos

Question 34

Cephalonia

Answer 34

The only Ionian Island to warrant a PDO for dry white wines produced from Robola PDO sweet wines are also produced from Mavrodaphne and Muscat

Question 35

Zakynthos

Answer 35

The home to Verdea Traditional Appellation Wines Produced from obscure grapes like Skiadopoulo, Pavlos, and Avgoustiatis may share similarities to Jura’s vin juane and Sherry

Question 36

Aegean Islands

Answer 36

Santorini PDO Paros PDO Rhodes PDO Limnos PDO Samos PDO Muscat of Rhodes PDO Muscat of Lemnos PDO Malvasia Paros PDO

Question 37

Santorini PDO (Cyclades Islands)

Answer 37

Whites from Assyrtiko, plus Athiri and Aidani Volcanic soils The vines must be trained close to the ground, in the stefani shape of baskets or wreaths in order to protect them from the fierce Aegean winds and to collect the little moisture that becomes available as morning dew. Vinsanto - A sweet dried grape wine

Question 38

Paros PDO (Cyclades Islands)

Answer 38

White from 100% Monemvassia Reds: Mandilaria The only Greek appellation that mandates use of a white grape (Monemvassia) in red blends

Question 39

Rhodes PDO

Answer 39

White: minimum 70% Athiri Red/Rose: minimum 70% Mandilaria Muscat of Rhodes PDO wines are rarely encountered

Question 40

Limnos PDO

Answer 40

Whites: Dominated by Muscat, May be dry or sweet Dry Red: Limnio, ancient red grape utilized by Domaine Carras originated on Lemnos

Question 41

Samos PDO

Answer 41

Home to one of the nations most famous wines: The famed Muscat of Samos, now a PDO Authorized Variety: Moschato Aspro (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains) Styles: vin de liqueur vin doux naturel naturally sweet - Called Samos Nectar, similar to vin de paille. Produced from dried grapes and aged a minimum of three years prior to release

Question 42

PDO regions of Crete

Answer 42

Sitia PDO Peza PDO Daphnes PDO Archanes PDO Candia PDO Malvasia Candia PDO Malvasia Sitia PDO

Question 43

The Vilana grape

Answer 43

Crete’s most cultivated white grape Comprising the majority of dry white Sitia wines and Peza whites

Question 44

The Liatiko grape

Answer 44

The dominant grape in the red Sitia and Daphnes PDO wines is found only on Crete and a handful of neighboring islands Delivers distinctively “orange” wine

Question 45

The grapes Mandilaria blended with Kotsifali

Answer 45

Produces the Archanes and red Peza wines

Question 46

On Crete, many winemakers are more excited to blend Kotsifali with what other varietal other than Mandilaria.

Answer 46

Syrah