Greece Flashcards
History of Greek winemaking
at least 5000 years
Spread of Greek empire through Europe and spreding wine culture
First wine laws to protect wine from particular locations and fraud, tax purposes etc.
Wide variety of substances such as herbs, spices, flowers, honey and oils were added to protect it from oxidation and mask off flavours.
Fall of greek wine continued towards 20th centrury creating image for cheap wine and retsina
2009 significant drop in domestic consumption
Increased export
Climate
Mediterranean climate with continental climate inland
Spring frost can be problem in nothern Greece
Mountainous country. Best vineyards planted in altitude to moderate temperatures
Moderating factor from the sea
Onshore winds on islands
- sometimes photosynthesis stops, interupting flowering and delaying ripening
- Dry, increased water stress
400-700mm of rainfall (in winter)
- irrigation often essential
Soil
Wide range
Limestone to volcanic
Low in fertility (apart plains) - low yields
High fertility soils were traditionaly used for other crops, resulting in vines planted on premium vine sites
Vineyard management
Average vineyard 0.5 ha.
Many growers sell grapes to large producers or co-ops
Many growers work by hand
Mixture of traditional and modern viticulture
Suitable for organic viticulture
Majority is trellised (usually cordon with VSP)
Irrigation is permitted (mostly used for international varieties, local grapes developed tolerance)
Drip irrigation
Grape varieties
Large number of indigenous grape varieties (90%) estimate over 200 (60 are grown in significant amounts)
International varieties usually used for blends with local grapes to show something recognisable (some successful blends such as Xinomavro, Merlot)
White 70%
- Savatiano
- Roditis
- Assyrtiko
- Moschofilero
- Malagousia
- Muscats
Red
- Agiogirtiko
- Xinomavro
Savatiano
Drought resistant
Large volumes of inexpensive wine
Retsina
Raising quality now
Citrus, Pear, stone fruit, nutty
Roditis
Pink skinned (rarely affecting wine’s colour)
High yields (inexpensive wines) and blending in Retsina
High acidity, ripe fruit such as melon
Assyrtiko
Most prized white
Originally from Santorini
Highly addaptable to different conditions
High acidity even when ripe, high alcohol level
Can age very well
Ideal for producing sweet wines (Vinsanto)
Dry - citrus, stone and tropical fruit, smoky, flint
sometimes partily aged in oak
Moschofilero
Quality potential
aromatic (citrus, flowers, rose petals, spices similar to Muscat)
High acidity, light bodied, relatively low alcohol.
Pink skinned (gives pink tinge) also used for rose
Mantinia (Peloponnese)
Malagousia
almost extinct
High quality wines
Medium levels of acidity and medium body wth complex aromas of stone fruit and flowers.
On cooler sites gives herbal notes. May be fermented in steel or old oak (or proportion of new oak)
Agiorgitiko
Wide variety of styles (light to full bodied, rose, sweet)
Deep colour, med acidity, med to high soft tannins, med alcohol
Ripe red fruit (can become jammy) and sweet spices
Often aged in oak (usually proportion new)
PDO Nemea (highly regarded)
Xinomavo
Prized in Naoussa (often linked to Nebbiolo)
Young wines have unpleasantly high tannin and vegetal aromas.
Turn garnet quickly
Benefit from long bottle ageing
Aged in oak, develops aroma of flowers, herbs, spices, leather and earthiness
More approachable styles are recently made with less extraction, riper grapes, fruitier.
Sometimes blended with Merlot to soften edges
Winemaking
Significant recent modernization after Greece enterin EU in 1981
Significant increase of use of new oak barriques (for both red and white)
Returning to more traditional winemaking using natural yeast, shorter extraction and amphorae
Retsina
Use of pine resin to preserve wine
Originally used to seal amphorae and then used as additive
Marking poorly made wines
most comes from hot plains
Savatiano and Roditis mainly
Lagally protected category with regulation
Does not fall into European category of wine (resin is added) but is now granted special status of wine of appellation by tradition.
Wine regions
Macedonia
- Naoussa
- Amynteo
Peloponnese
- Nemea
- Mantinia
Islands
- Santorini
Wine law and regulations
Eqivalent to PDO is POP (Prostatevmeni Onomasia Proelefsis) currently 33 (20% of production)
PDOs lay down rules for grape growing and winemaking
PDO are usually restricted to native varieties (exception of Muscat for sweet wines
PGE (Prostatevmeni Geografiki Endiksi) equivalent of PGI (over 120, 62% production) international varieties can be used
OKP - traditional products such as Retsina
Other ‘Wine of Greece’ 18%
Macedonia
wide range of conditions - mountains and plains
Continental climate in mountains, relatively cool temperatures, 650-700mm rain, generous for Greece
Plains: warm mediterranean climate, in rain shadow - drier. Fertile soils ideal for high volumes. Good quality wines come from PGI Drama and Kavala
Traditionaly red wine producing region.
Drama Valley - high quality Bordeaux blends
Naoussa
South-estern slopes of Mount Vermio. Vineyards around 150-400m.
Relatively cool temperatures, cool air from norht and west.
Must be 100% Xinomavro.
High acidity and tannin, complex aroma and potential to age.
Traditionally aged in large wooden vessels, then barriques came, new modern style is riper fruit or cold soaking or whole bunch (less tannic styles)
Complex soil types and microclimates. Now making single vineyard or village wines
Rose and Merlot produced outside of PDO
Producers: Thymiopoulos Vineyards and Kir-Yianni
Amynteo
North-western side of Mount Vermio. High altitude 570-750m and exposed to cold wind from noth. Cool summers and cold winter.
Site selection is crucial. Lakes are moderating temperature (otherwise too cold for viti) more fertile soil and higher humidity around lakes.
Spring frost is problem
PDO must be 100% Xinomavro but rose is permitted
Lighter in body than Naoussa with distinctive floral quality
Phylloxera free soils - very old vines.
Some producers blend Xinomavro with Merlot (cannot be labeled Amynteo PDO)
Producers: Apha Estate
Peloponnese
Very mountainous with poor rocky soils (only small area of flat land)
Temperatures moderated by altitude.
Easterly winds bring rain from ocean
Dominated by white wines (exception of Nemea)
Nemea
close to Corinth Canal
Only 100% Agiogitiko (dry and sweet)
Increased use of barriques (suble oak is returning)
New wave of semi-carbonic maceration to keep tannins low.
Mediterranean climate with majority of rainfall in autumn and winter (400-900mm large vintage variations)
3 zones by altitude:
- Valley floor (230-400m) hottest, most fertile, inexpensive wine
- Middle (450-650m) best for quality wines. Poor free draining soils. range of microclimates and soils (might introduce cru system)
- highest (650-1000m) can struggle to ripen fully on clay. fresh red fruit flavours, high acidity, harsh tannins. Mainly rose produced (Outside PDO system)
Producers: Gaia Wines and Tselepos
Mantinia
Plateau at 600m
one of coolest growing areas of Greece. In cold years grapes do not reach full ripeness.
PDO whites only (Moschofilero min. 85% of blend)
High acidity, low to med alcohol and body, floral and spicy notes. Fermented in steel tend to be drunk young.
Producers: Boutari and Semeli Estate
The Islands
in Aegean Sea
Strong winds. Very low rainfall. Rocky soils with poor water retention.
Relatively expensive to produce wine
Santorini Paros Tinos Samos Lemmos Crete
Santorini
Assyrtiko (dry and sweet)
Lies on volcano with central submerged crater (caldera)
Strong winds - vines are trained low to the ground in a basket (requires 4x labour of conventional trellis)
Very dry (usually only moisture comes from fog from caldera) - low densities 2500 viner per ha
Phylloxera free (some vines are over 400years old)
Infertile soil, low vigour, low yields. PDO max yield 60hl/ha but average is 15hl/ha
PDO whites only - 75% of Assyrtiko (sweet wine 51% Assyrtiko)
High levels of acidity, med-high alcohol, smoky fruity aromas. Developing honey, toasty tones with age.
Ferment in steel at low temperatures.
Vinsanto
Santorini
Late harvested grapes, dried on the sun for up to two weeks. Must be aged for at least two years in oak. (encouraging oxidation by not filling the casks)
Raisin, coffee, chocolate
200-300g RS with high acidity
Producers: Estate Argyros, Domaine Sigalas
Wine business
Many very small growers who sell their grapes.
1920s government established number of co-operatives to revitalize industry (resulted in poor quality)
13% exported - Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux, USA
Challenge of introducing native varieties, but also important selling point. Unfamiliar language and alphabet.
Domestic market is the most important but also prefers international varieties and not native ones.
Promotional body: Wines of Greece
Co-ops: Samos
Large producers: Greek Wine Cellars, Boutaris Group
