Greece Flashcards
Region Varieties
What are the 4 PDOs of Macedonia? What one has required vine training methods?
- Naoussa PDO (Xinomavro)
- Amynteo PDO (Xinomavro)
- Goumenissa PDO (Xinomavro, Negoska (20% minimum)) vines must be 4 years old to harvest only goblet and double cordon allowed
- Slopes of Meliton (Halkidiki is the one region for the single producer Domaine Carras)
- Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Lemnio and Cabernet Franc
- White: Roditis, Assyrtiko, plus Athiri
Style of wine and location of the following:
Amynteo PDO
Macedonia - Greece
- Sparkling Rose: Traditional method or tank method
- Still Rose
- Dry Red
- 100% Xinomavro
What is the only grape variety of Amynteo PDO?
100% Xinomavro
Produce dry red, rose and sparkling rose
What are the sweetest regulation on the production of Amynteo sparkling wines?
- Sparkling rose: 17-32 g/l
- Semi-sweet sparkling rose: 32-50 g/l
What is the minimum ageing requirement for Reserve / Selected red wines in Greece?
White Wines
Minimum 1 year in total including 6 months in oak and 3 months in bottles
Only allow for dry wines
Red Wines
Minimum 2 years in total including 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottles
Only allow for dry wines
What is the minimum ageing requirement for Grande Reserve red wines in Greece?
- Wines must be aged for a minimum of 4 years in total
- This must include at least 18 months in barrels and 18 other months in bottle
This term is only used on the production of dry wines
What is the name of the God of wine in the Greek mythology ?
Dionysus
Name the specific resin name used for the production of Retsina. When is it added to wine now?
Aleppo Pine Resin
first half of fermentation in a sort of tea bag
Back in times, wines were transported around Ancient Greece in Amphora, covered with this Pine Resin to prevent any for of spoilage
Can you name the grape variety most use for the production of Retsina
Savvatiano & Roditis
Retsina can not be vintage dated on the label
Can Retsina wine be vintage dated?
No,
This wine is only considered as a tradition wine appelation but classified in PGI for the European court. It does not have any legal term and regulation
Name the 2 biggest wine producer of Greece?
- Boutari (Naoussa)
- Tsantali (Naoussa)
What are the 2 level of PDO appellations of the Greek wine industry?
Precise their focus.
- OPAP: Controlled Appellation of Origin: for dry wines
- OPE: Appellation of Superior Quality: For traditional sweet wine appellations
What is the ageing assessment for the production of Reserve white in Greece?
- Minimum 1 years in total
- including 6 months in oak and 3 months in bottles
Only allow for dry wines
What is the ageing assessment for the production of Grande Reserve white wine in Greece?
- Minimum 2 years in total
- including 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottles
Only allow for dry wines
Name 2 of the most famous PGI traditional wines of Greece?
- Retsina (Savaatiano)
- Verdea - from Zakinthos (50% Skiadopoulo) Traditional verdea is a high alcohol content, dry wine, which gives a strong sense of aging in oak barrels reminiscent of sherry. Without losing their traditional character, today’s verdea wines are amber in color and have fruity aromas and a fresh and piquant taste. It owes its name to the Italian “verde,” meaning “green,” which refers to the color of the unripe grapes used to increase the wine’s acidity.
Explain the following wine style and precise its location:
Verdea
Zakynthos in the Ionian island
- Oxydative wine - sherry like
- Produced from the Skiadopoulo, Pavlos, Robola, Goustolidi, Avgoustiatis
Precise the grape varieties of the following wine:
Verdea
- Skiadopoulo
- Pavlos
- Rebula
- Goustolidi
- Avgoustiatis
What is the signification of the term Cava on the Greek wine industry?
This is link with minimal ageing requirement under the PGI rules
- White and Rose: at least 1 year of ageing including 6 months in oak
- Red: At least 3 years of ageing including at least 12 months in oak
What is the following term referred to? From where
Palaiomenos se Vareli
- This term is used in Greece
- This can be added to a Cava, Reserve or Grande Reserve wines to mention than the wine spends an extended time in oak in comparison of the official rules
What is the North-Eastern most wine region of the Greece mainland?
Thrace
This wine region does not claim any PDO wine area.
What is the traduction / meaning of
Xinomavro
Acid-black
Name the single owner and producer of the Slopes of Meliton PDO? Who was the OG consulting winemaker?
- *Domaine Porto Carras**
- Evangelos Gerovassiliou launch the estate in 1970 after been trained in Bordeaux*
- Red wines: Based in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Limnios
- White wines: Assyrtiko, Athiri, Rhoditis
- Emile Peynaud
What was the first Cooperatives winery of Greece?
When was it established?
Samos
Founded in 1934
Few cooperatives were created at this period to absorb the over production of grape in the all country.
Why Retsina was heavily produced on the 1950’s?
The pine resin was used to hide a rough, harsh taste of some large scale production wines.
This disturb the market, and give hard time for Greek wine to show up as a quality wine production in following decades.
When were the Greek wine laws first introduced?
- In 1969, Greece started its first wine law
- In 1971 most of the today wine regions were created.
- In 1981 Joins EU
- In 2009 PDO’s are established
When did Greece joined European Union?
1981
This largely helps the country to open its door to export and also in planting new international grape in the country
What is the following term refer to?
Kokkineli
This is a Retsina produced from the pink-skinned Roditis variety, made as a rose wine
What are the most planted variety in Greece?
- Savvatiano: 16.5%
- Roditis: 14.3%
- Agiorgitiko: 5%
- Liatiko: 3%
- Xinomavro: 3%
Pourcentages are in link to country annual average production in variety
What is the latitude of Greece?
Greece is located between the 34th and 42nd parallels North
What is the Greece’s tallest mountain peak?
- *Mount Olympus**
- Reach 3,000m above sea Level*
Name the most important mountain range of Greece?
Pindos Mountains
Sourthern most extention of the Alps mountains.
It’s covers most of the Greece mainland, from the North to Peloponnese on the south
What are the 3 main seas surrounding Greece?
- Aegean Sea on the East
- Ionian Sea on the West
- Libyan Sea on the south of Crete
What are the 3 sub-classification of the Aegean island?
- Cyclades: Surrounding Santorini island
- Dodecanese: The south east part, nearest to Turkey
- North Aegean Island: Closer to Macedonia
What are the main wine regions of Greece?
From North to South
- Tharce
- Macedonia
- Epirus
- Thessalia
- Central Greece
- Peloponnese
- Crete
- Aegean Islands
- Ionian islands
Name the wind of the Aegean island, helps mitigate the hot and dry climate
Meltemi
Cold and dry wind from the north Balkan regions.
Explain the following term:
TO
= Topikos Oinos
Equivalent of the french Vin de Pays
How may PDO are nowadays all over Greece?
33 in total
They are all focused on indigenous varieties, aside from Slopes of Meliton PDO and Messenikola PDO
What is the method of production of the following wine in Greece?
Vins naturellement doux
Wines produced only from sun-dried grapes
No botrytis, no fortification at any point
What spirit is used on the production Vin Doux Naturel in the Greek landscape?
Tsipouro
Greek grappa sometimes flavored with anise
What estatein Greece blend Mavrodaphne with Cabernet Sauvignon and Resfosco?
Domaine Mercouri
Western Peloponnese
What are the 4 Xinomavro PDO based of Greece?
- Amynteo
- Naoussa
- Goumenissa: Blended with Negoska
- Rapsani: Blended with Krassato and Stavroto
What are the most important PDOs for the Mandillaria variety in Greece ?
- Archanes
- Candia
- Peza
- Paros
- Rhodes
- Sitia
There is any PDO within the Thrace region?
No, only few PGI
PGI District: Evros
PGI Area wine: Avdira and Ismaros
What is the most important city of Macedonia?
Thessaloniki
2nd largest city of Greece, located on the coast, with on of the biggest port of the country
Location and style of wine of the following:
Amynteo PDO
Western Macedonia - Greece
- Located Near the Pindos mountain range
- One of the coldest wine region of Greece, with common snow fall
- 100% Xinomavro
- Dry red and rose wines, also sparkling rose
Style of wine and location of the following:
Naoussa PDO
Macedonia - Greece
- 100% Xinomavro
- Dry red
- Semi dry red: 4,5 to 17,5 g/l
- Semi-sweet red : 17,5 to 45 g/l
What is the soil type of Naoussa PDO?
Mostly rich clay with limestone
Location and year of establishment of the following:
Boutari
Largest winery of Greece, based in Macedonia since 1879.
Name few Crus of Naoussa allow to appear on the label.
- Trifolos: low elevation
- Fytia: higher altitude
- Ramnista
What is the mountain range located near Goumenissa PDO?
Mount Paiko
Style of wine and location of the following:
Goumenissa PDO
Macedonia - Greece
- Xinomavro + at least 20% Negoska
- Dry red wines only
- Minimum altitude: 150m above sea Level
- Warmest region of the 3 Macedonian Xinomavro based
What Grape (aside from Xinomavro) must be part of the blend in Goumenissa PDO?
Negoska
It must represent at least 20% of the final blend
What is the southern most region of production of Xinomavro in Greece?
Rapsani PDO
- Thessalia
- Xinomavro is know as Principal Variety.
- Krassato and Stavroto are authorised variety of the final blend
Style of wine and location of the following?
Rapsani PDO
Thessalia - Greece
- Dry red wine only
- Xinomavro + Krassato and Stavroto
- Hand harvest is required and grapes can not be carried in more than 20kg plastic boxes
- malo-lactic fermentation me be done in oak barrel
Under Rapsani PDO, what varieties can be blended alongside Xinomavro?
- Krassato
- Stavroto
What are the Greek’s 2 PDO allowing international varieties?
- Slopes of Meliton PDO: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Messenilkola PDO: Syrah and Carignan are complete the blend of the Mavro-Mesenikola variety
Style of wine and location of the following:
Messenikola PDO
Thessalonia - Greece
- Dry red wine only
- 70% minimum Mavro-Mesenikola
- 30% maximum of Syrah and Carignan combined
Style of wine and location of the following:
Anchialos PDO
Thessalonia - Greece
- Dry white: 0 to 4 g/l sugar
- Semi-Dry: 4.5 to 17.5 g/l sugar
- Semi-sweet: 17.5 to 45 g/l sugar
- Minimum 80% Roditis + Savvatiano
What is the residual sugar ranges for the production of Anchialos PDO?
- Dry: 0 to 4 g/l
- Semi-dry: 4 to 17.5 g/l
- Semi-sweet: 17.5 to 45 g/l
80% Roditis + Savvatiano
What are the PDO of Thessalia wine region?
- Rapsani PDO
- Anchialos PDO
- Messenikola PDO
What is the sole PDO of Epirus wine region?
Zitsa PDO
- Only dry white wine and sparkling
- 100% Debina
- Sparkling wines can be produced either in Traditional Method or in Tank
- highest elevation vines in greece
Style of wine and location of the following:
Zitsa PDO
Single PDO of Epirus - Greece
- 100% Debina
- Dry white wine
-
Sparkling:
- dry: 17 to 32 g/l Residual sugar
- Semi-Dry: 32 to 50g/l Residual sugar
What is the Residual sugar range for Zitsa PDO Sparkling wine?
- Dry: 17 to 32 g/l Residual sugar
- Semi-Dry: 32 to 50g/l Residual sugar
What are the 2 PGI district of central Greece?
- Attiki (retsina)
- Evia
- viotia
all may make retsina
What are the PDOs of Peloponnese?
- Nemea PDO (100% agiorgitiko)
- Mantinia PDO (Moschofilero 85%)
- Monemvasia-Malvasia PDO (Min. 51% Monemvassia, plus Assyrtiko, Asproudes, Kydonitsa)
- Patras PDO (100% Roditis)
- Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO ( Mavrodaphne and a max. 49% Mavri Korinthiaki)
- Muscat of Patras PDO (
- Muscat of Rio Patras PDO