Greece Flashcards
Where were the first vineyards in France?
Marseille, when it was the Greek colony of Massalia
When was Greek wine law created?
1969 and 1970
Most appelations established in 1971
What are the two levels of PDO
Controlled Appellation of Origin (OPE) for Sweet
Appellation of Superior Quality (OPAP) for dry wines
How long are Greek PDO “Reserve” wines aged for?
White: 1 year, w 6 mo in barrel (<600 L) and 3 in btl
Red: 2 yrs, w w 1 yr in barrrel and 6 mo in btl
How long are Greek PDO “Grand Reserve” wines aged for?
white: 2 yrs, w 1 yr barrel and 6 mo ntl
red: 4 yrs, w 18 mo barrel and 18 mo btl
What categories fall below PDO wines?
PGI
Varietal
Table
Traditional (considered PGI)
What the the “Traditional Appelations” of Greece?
Retsina
Verdea
What is Verdea?
Dry, oxidative white from the island of Zakynthos, based on min 51% Skiadopoulo
Where and when did Greek wine production begin?
Crete around 2500 BCE
How did Phylloxera in France affect Greece?
Greece had a huge economy based on importing raisins which the french would steep in water and then ferment
When did phylloxera arrive in Greece?
1898 in the north
When was Porto Carras founded? Who was the consultant?
1970
Emile Peynaud
What are the grapes of Retsina?
Savatiano and Roditis
What is Kokkinelli?
Rose Retsina produced from Roditis (which is pink-skinned)
What is the range of the final volume of retsina that can be pine resin?
0.15-1%
What countries border Greece, West to east?
Albania
FYROM/Macedonia
Bulgaria
Turkey
What is the main mountain range of greece?
the Pindos, southernmost extension of the alps
How high is Mt Olympus?
nearly 3,000 meters (9,850 ft)
What seas surround Greece?
Aegean to the east
Ionian to the west
Libyan to the south of Crete
How are the Aegean islands divided?
Cyclades (including Santorini), the Dodecanese, and the North Aegean Islands
Crete stands alone
What island is considered to be a part of Sterea Ellada despite being in the Aegean?
Evia
What are the major regions of mainland Greece?
Macedonia Thrace Epirus Thessaly Sterea Ellada (Central Greece) Peloponnese
What separates Peloponnese from mainland Greece?
Corinthian Gulf
much of Greece’s mountains are formed by protruding oceanic crust. What does this mean for the soil?
Much limestone, low fertility
Areas of Greece with continental climates
Epirus
central Peloponnese
western Thessaly
western Macedonia
What is the hottest, driest part of Greece?
Attica (surrounding Athens in Central Greece)
Whata re the coolest areas of Greece?
Epirus and Amynteo
What is the Meltemi?
A wind that sweeps across the Aegean when a high pressure system falls over the balkans and a low pressure system sits over Turkey. Blows very dry air from the north from mid-May to Sept.
What is Tsipouro?
Greek Grappa
What was the first area in Greece to be legally deliniated?
Thrace
How many PDOs are there total?
33
Which 2 PDOs are not dedicated to indigenous varieties?
Slopes of Meliton
Messenikola
How are Greek Vin Naturellement Doux wines produced?
Dried grape wines, unfortifed
How are Greek Vin Doux wines produced?
VdN
What is used to fortify Greek Vin Doux?
Tsipouro
Aprox. what percentage of Greek production is PDO level?
a little under 20%
To be a PDO, what percentage of the fruit must grown and vinified within the appelation?
100% grown and vinified within the PDO
What are the levels of Greek PGIs?
Largest to smallest:
Regional
District
Area (can be as small as a single vineyard)
Can Retsina be vintage dated?
NO
What does Asproudi mean?
Unknown white grape. A generic term
What does the word Cava imply on a Greek label?
For PGI and Varietal wines only. No PDO.
White: 1 year w 6 mo in barrel
Red: 3 yrs w 1 yr in barrel
What does Mavroudi mean?
Unknown red grape, generally indigenous
What does “Paleomenos se Vareli” imply on a label?
For PDO, PGI and varietal wines with an aging indication, this indicates extended oak aging beyond the minimum
What is Mandilaria known for?
Red grape grown in the Greek Islands, known most for its dark color.
What is the mot planted grape in Greece?
Savatiano
What is above Thrace? Below it?
Bulgaria to the north, Aegean Sea to the south
What shields Thrace from cool northerly winds?
The Rodopi mountains
What are the PDOs of Thrace?
None
Why are many larger Greek wineries composed of a collection of smaller wineries?
becasue PDO law mandates that wines be vinified within the PDO area
What and where is Greece’s second largest city?
Thessaloniki in Macedonia
What is the dominant soil of Amynteo PDO?
Sand.
There are some own rooted vines here
What styles can be made in Amynteo PDO?
Sparkling Rose (dry and semi-sweet) (traditional method or tank)
Dry, still Rose
Dry Red
all 100% Xinomavro
What is Amynteo PDO’s elevation?
And Naoussa’s?
Amynteo: 520-720 meters (1,705-2,630 ft)
Naoussa: 80-350 meters (260-1,150 ft)
What producer was the first to bottle wine in Greece? Where?
Boutari in Naoussa
How many crus of Naoussa? Name 3
13 Trifolos Ramnista Fytia Yiannakohori Gastra
What styles are allowed in Naoussa PDO?
all red, 100% Xinomavro
Dry (0-4 g rs)
Semi-Dry (4.5-17.5 g rs)
Semi-Sweet (17.5-45 g rs)
Where in Goumenissa PDO?
northeast of Naoussa, at the foot of Mount Paiko. Warmest of the Xino-PDOs
What is the cepage and style of Goumenissa PDO?
XInomavro co-fermented w min 20% Negoska
riper, more generous style
Where is Macedonia is Slopes of Meliton PDO?
an area called Halkidiki, the three fingered peninsulas. It is on the middle peninsula
What is the sole estate of Slopes of Meliton PDO?
Domaine Porto Carras
What are the wines of Slopes of Meliton PDO?
White: dry, still. Roditis, Assyrtiko, plus Athiri
Red: Dry, still. CS plus Lemnio and CF
Where is Gerovassiliou located?
Epanomi, near Thessaloniki
What is Siatista?
An Area PGI in western Macedonia for traditional sweet wine from dried Xinomavro and Moschomavro
What region surrounds Mount Olympus?
Thessalia PGI
What regions do the Pindos Mountains mark the border of?
Macedonia and Thessalia
What is most common soil of Thessalia?
Schist and grey clay
What are the PDOs of Thessalia?
Rapsani PDO
Anchialos PDO
Messenikola PDO
What is Greece’s smallest PDO? What size is it?
Rapsani PDO
60 ha
(also the most important PDO of Thessalia)
What producer vinifies ~95% of Rapsani’s fruit?
Tsantali
What is the style and cepage of Rapsani?
Still, dry red (can be reserve or grand reserve)
Xinomavro with Krasato and Stavroto (traditionally equal parts and cofermented, but that’s no longer the case)
What is the style and cepage of Messenikola PDO?
Still, dry red
min 70% Mavro Mesenikola
max 30% combined Syrah and Carignan
What is the style and cepage of Anchialos PDO?
White (dry, semi-dry, semi sweet)
Min 80% Roditis
max 20% Savatiano
what is the aging regulation for Anchialos PDO semi-dry and semi-sweet wines?
Oak aging is forbidden
What is the westernmost region of mainland Greece?
Epirus
What is the PDO of Epirus?
Zitsa PDO
What is the style and cepage of Zitsa PDO?
Still dry white
Sparkling white (dry or semi-dry)
100% Debina
What is the method and rs for Sparkling wines from Zitsa?
Traditional method or tank
Dry: 17-32 g/l rs
Semi-dry: 32-50 g/l rs
What is the climate of Zitsa PDO?
Cool continental
Influenced by Pindos Mountains to the east and Ionian Sea to the west.
500-700 meters elevation
PDOs of Sterea Ellada?
None
What is Greece’s second largest island?
Evia
What is physically the largest PDO of Greece?
Patras PDO
PDOs of Peleponnese
Nemea PDO Mantinia PDO Patras PDO Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO Muscat of Patras PDO Muscat of Rio Patras PDO
Styles and cepage of Nemea PDO?
red only, 100% Agioritiko Dry Semisweet Vin Doux (VdL) V Doux Naturel (VdN) Sweet dried grape wine
What is the most famous Agioritiko-Cabernet blend?
Domaine Skouras’s Megas Oenos
What are the altitude zones of Nemea PDO?
200-450 meters (sweet and light, fruity dry reds)
450-650 meters (Serious red)
650-850 meters (historically PGI rose, but now elegant reds too)
What is the”cru” of Nemea? What is its altitude?
Koutsi
650 m
What PDO is the coolest and most continental in Peloponnese?
Mantinia PDO
750 m
Winter snow is common
What are the styles and cepage of Mantinia PDO?
Min 85% Moscholfilero, plus Asproudes (often Glikerithra)
Still, dry white (can be Vin Gris via skin contact)
Sparkling white (Brut Nature through Doux)
Where in Peloponnese is Patras PDO located?
In Achaia PGI
Northernmost coast of Peloponnese. Dramatic mountains
What is the style and cepage of Patras PDO?
still dry white
Semi-dry white
Semi-sweet white
100% Roditis
WHat wine is Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO modeled after?
Port
Gustav Clauss of Achaia Clauss spent time in portugal before opening his winery in Achaia
What are the styles, cepage and aging of Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO?
Natural sweet red (VdL from dried grapes) Sweet red (VdL from non-dried grapes with the addition of additional must) Mavrodaphne w max 49% Mavri Korinthiaki
What are the aging requirements for Mavrodaphne of Patras PDO?
min 1 year in barrel
Reserve: 2 years cask, 1 btl
Vieille: five yrs, w 2 in cask and 2 in btl
Grande Reserve: seven years, w 3 in cask and 3 in btl
Can be solera
What is the grape and styles of both Muscat of Patras PDO and Muscat of Rio Patras PDO?
both 100% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains VDN VDN Grand Cru VDL Liastos
What are the stylistic differences between Muscat of Patras PDO and Muscat of Rio Patras PDO?
Muscat of Patras PDO is richer and heavier
Muscat of Rio Patras PDO is more high-toned and floral
What is the cepage and styles of Monemvasia-Malvasia PDO?
Min 51% Monemvassia, plus Assyrtiko, Asproudes
Vin Liastos
VDN (still made w dried grapes
What is the aging of Monemvasia-Malvasia PDO?
Min 2 yrs in an oxidative environment
if the wine is aged for a longer period, it may be aged for 4 years, or in multiples of 4 years thereafter
How many Ionian Islands?
How many that produce wine?
7
4
What are the 4 Ionian Islands that produce wine?
Cephalonia
Zakynthos
Lefkada
Corfu
What event nearly destroyed Cephalonia’s wine industry?
A devasting earthquake in 1953
What are the PDOs of Cephalonia?
Robola of Cephalonia PDO
Muscat of Cephalonia PDO
Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia PDO
What are the styles and cepage of Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia PDO?
Fortified sweet red only (VDN)
min 50% Mavrodaphne, plus Mavri Korinthiaki (must be cofemrented if present)
What are the styles and cepage of Muscat of Cephalonia PDO?
VDN VDN Grand Cru VDL Liastos 100% Moscato Aspro (Blanc a petit grains)
What are the styles and cepage of Robola of Cephalonia PDO?
Dry white
100% Robola
How old must vines be before harvesting in Cephalonia?
3 years for Muscat of Cephalonia PDO
4 yrs for Robola of Cephalonia PDO
What is the well-regarded Mavrodaphne clone found in Cephalonia?
Tsigelo
Where are the oldest vines in Greece?
The Cyclades. The soils were too poor for Phylloxera
Why are co-ops so prevalent in the Aegean wine industry?
in the late 1800s much of their grapes were turned into raisins and sold to France. When France recovered from phylloxera, the Aegean industry plummeted.
What are two names for Santorini’s vine training system?
Kouloura
Stefani
What are the styles and cepage for Santorini PDO?
Dry white Nychteri Vinsanto For Dry wines, min 75% Assyrtiko For Vinsanto, min 51% Assyrtiko blended w Aidani and Athiri
What are the requirements for Nychteri?
13.5% alcohol
grapes are picked at night
Aged in barrel for at least 3 months, often longer
sometimes flor develops
What are the requirements for Vinsanto?
Grapes are dried. STart at 260 g/l, finish at 370 g/l.
Aged min 2 yrs in barrel, either on Thera or Thirasia.
If given an age statement, must be aged oxidatively for min 4 years, and age statements must be a multiple of 4.
What are the islands of production of Santorini PDO?
Thera and Thirasia
What are the PDOs of Paros?
Paros PDO
Malvasia Paros PDO
What are the styles and cepages of Paros PDO?
Dry White, 100% Monemvasia
Dry Red, co-ferment of min 35% Mandelaria w Monemvasia
What is the only PDO that allows for a white grape to be included in a dry red?
Paros PDO
What are the styles, cepage and aging of Malvasia Paros PDO?
Fortified Liastos Liastos min 85% Monemvasia max 15% Assyrtiko Min 2 yrs in oxidative environment (oak) May be vintage dated after 2 years May carry age statement in 4 year increments, which is an average of the blend
What PDOs are in the Dodecanese?
Rhodes PDO
Muscat of Rhodes PDO
What are the styles for Rhodes PDO?
White: Dry Lefkos Medium Dry Lefkos Semisweet Red: Dry Semi-dry Semisweet Rose: Dry semi-dry Semisweet Quality Sparkling White and Rose (full sweetness spectrum)
What are cepages for Rhodes PDO?
White: min 70% Athiri, plus Assyrtiko and Malagousia
Red/Rose: min 70% Mandilaria, plus Mavrothiriko
What is Rhodes PDO known for?
Sparkling white and rose
Must undergo secondary fermentation, in tank or bottle
What is the cepage and style of Muscat of Rhodes PDO?
100% Muscat Blanc a petit grains Liastos VDN VDN Grand Cru VDL
WHat is the dominant producer on Samos?
United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos
UWC Samos
What are UWC Samos’s top bottlings?
Nectar (liastos, unfortified, aged 6 yrs in barrel)
Anthemia (VDL, aged ~5 yrs in barrel)
Grand Cru (min 400 meters alt, “driest” of the sweet wines, VDN after an extended fermentation, no oak)
Styles and cepage of Samos PDO
VDN VDN Grand Cru VDL Liastos 100% Moschato Aspro
What are the styles and cepages of Lemnos PDO?
White: Dry Semi-Dry Semi-Sweet all 100% Moschato Alexandrias Dry Red 100% Limnio (Kalampaki) Liastos VDL from Liastos
What are the styles and cepage of Muscat of Lemnos PDO?
Liastos
VDN
VDN Grand Cru
VDL
Explain the climate of Crete
Generally hot and dry
North is cooler are mountains block hot winds blowing up from Africa. West is slightly cooler and rainier than east
What are the PDOs of Crete?
Sitia PDO Peza PDO Daphnes PDO Archanes PDO Candia PDO Malvasia Candia PDO Malvasia Sitia PDO
What are the styles and cepages of Peza PDO?
Dry white
Dry red
White: 100% Vilana
Red: Kotsifali and Mandilaria
What are the styles and cepages of Archanes PDO?
Dry Red only
Kotsifali and Mandilaria
What are the styles and cepages of Daphnes PDO?
Red only: Dry Sweet red (VDL) VDN VDN Grand Cru Liastos 100% Liatiko
What are the styles and cepage of Candia PDO?
Dry White
Dry Red
White: min 85% Vilana, plus Vidiano, Assyrtiko, Thrapsathiri, Liatiko (BdN), Athiri
Red: min 70% Kotsifali, plus Mandilaria
What are the styles and cepages for Malvasia Candia PDO?
VDN
Vin Naturallement Doux/Liastos
Assyrtiko, Athiri, Vidiano, Thrapsathiri, Liatiko (BdN), plus max 15% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and Muscat Blanc
What are the styles and cepages of Sitia PDO?
Dry White min 70% Vilana, plus Thrapsathiri Dry Red min 80% Liatiko, plus Mandilaria Sweet Red VDL Red VDN 100% Liatiko Liastos
What are the styles and cepages of Malvasia Sitia PDO?
White VDN
White Naturally Sweet
Assyrtiko, Athiri, Vidiano, Thrapsathiri, Liatiko (BdN)
max 15% Malvasia Cadia Aromatica and Muscat BaPG
What are the oak and sugar requirements for Malvasia Sitia PDO?
Min 2 yrs oak
Naturally sweet wine: 80 g/l rs
Which PDOs of Crete are for dry wine only?
Peza PDO
Archanes PDO (red only)
Candia PDO
Which PDOs are for sweet Muscat?
Samos PDO Muscat of Patras PDO Muscat of Rio Patras PDO Muscat of Cephalonia PDO Muscat of Rhodes PDO Muscat of Lemnos PDO* *only one for Muscat of Alexandria
Which PDOs have VDN Grand Cru sites?
Muscat of Rhodes PDO Muscat of Lemnos PDO Samos PDO Daphnes PDO* Muscat of Cephalonia PDO Muscat of Patras PDO Muscat of Rio Patras PDO *only non-muscat Grand Cru
Which PDOs allow for sparkling wine?
Rhodes PDO
Amynteo PDO
Mantinia PDO
Zitsa PDO
Which PDOs allow for Rose?
Amynteo PDO
Rhodes PDO
Put the PDO of Crete West to east
Daphnes PDO Archanes PDO Candia PDO Peza PDO Sitia PDO
