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