Greece Flashcards
What is Chian wine?
Ancient red wine prized in Ancient Greek and Medieval produced on the island of Chios in the Aegean Islands often made in a dried grape style.
The island of Santorini is part of what group of Islands?
Aegean Islands
What are the grape requirements for wine from Nemea?
100% Aghiorgitiko
What is the grape St. George also known as?
Aghiorgitiko
Where are the most prized plantings of Aïdani and what grape is it commonly blended with there?
Santorini where it’s commonly blended with Assyrtiko.
What is the home of Assyrtiko? Why is it so prized in warmer climates?
Santroini
Prized for its ability to retain acidity even in warmer climates.
What are the 7 PDOs of Crete?
Sitia PDO Peza PDO Daphnes PDO Archanes PDO Candia PDO Malvasia Candia PDO Malvasia Sitia PDO
What style of wine is produced in Zítsa and from what grape? Where is Zítsa?
Lightly sparkling white wine exclusively produced from the Debina grape.
This is located in Eprius.
What technique was first used in Crete to concentrate grapes for the purpose of making dried grape wine?
Twisting the stems of grape clusters to deprive them of sap, and leaving them to raisin on the vine.
Where is vinsanto produced and what are the grape and aging requirements?
Santorini from a min 51% Assyrtiko plus Athiri, Aidani and other traditional grapes of Santorini.
If vintage dated must be aged for a minimum of 2 years on the islands of Thera or Thirasia.
If not vintage dated, must be aged for a minimum of 4 years in an oxidative manner. The aging statement on the bottle must be mentioned in multiples of 4 (4, 8, 12, 16, etc)
What percentage of Greece’s total output is white wine?
70%
Why were amphorae lined with resin in ancient times?
To limit the porosity of the vessel.
The Greek people consume what percentage of their total output?
Approximately 95%
What soils are generally found more on the mainland? Which are found more on the islands?
The mainland has a higher percentage of subsoils of limestone. Clay, loam, schist, and marl are all found here as well.
The islands have a higher percentage of subsoils are volcanic in origin.
What is the name of the basket vine training method used in Santorini and why is it used?
Kouloura; this vine training method protects the vines from the fierce hot winds that blow over the island while at the same time trapping moisture blowing in the air from the sea during the night time.
What is the name of the vine training method used on the island of Paros?
Aplotaria; involves an untrained vine to grow freely allowing it to sprawl about. This protects it from harsh winds while its close proximity to the ground allows the vine to gather moisture during the night as winds and mists from the sea blow over the vines.
What are the aging requirements for Reserve and Grand Reserve Greek wines? What quality level wine may these designations be applied?
Depends on if they are red or white but the wine must be PDO.
White Reserve is aged for a minimum of 12 months with at least 6 months in oak and 3 months in bottle.
Red Reserve is aged for a minimum of 24 months with at least 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottle
White Grand Reserve is aged for a minimum of min of 24 months with 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottle. Essentially the same as Red Reserve.
Red Grand Reserve is aged for a minimum of 48 months with 18 months in oak and 18 months in bottle.
From a commercial standpoint what are the 5 most important PGI areas of Greece?
Attica Drama Peloponnese Epanomi Thivai/Thebes
What does “Cava” or “Kava” indicate on a bottle of Greek wine?
This designation is only permitted for IGP/Table wines and indicates superior quality and extensive aging.
Whites: 1 years minimum including 6 months in barrel.
Reds: 3 years minimum including 1 year in barrel.
What are the three categories that exist for table wines (IGP) in Greece?
Regional
Wines with a Traditional Appellation
Branded Wines
What are the two most famous IGP wines in Greece that are considered Wines with a Traditional Appellation?
Retsina and Verdea
Which category of IGP is considered the highest quality and essentially a bridge to Appellation of Origin Wines?
Regional
What are the two broad categories of wine in Greece recognized by the EU (PDO and IGP)?
Appellation of Origin Wine (PDO) Table Wine (IGP)
What are the colors, styles, and sweetness levels of wines produced in the Naoussa PDO?
Dry, Semi-Dry, and Semi-Sweet Red from 100% Xinomavro
What is the star red grape of Naoussa PDO?
Xinomavro
Reserve and Grand Reserve may also be labeled as what respectively for PDO wines?
Reserve: Selected
Grand Reserve: Specially Selected
The vineyards of Naoussa are planted on the southern and southeastern slopes of what mountain?
Mount Vermio
What appellation do the best PDO wines from the eastern slopes of Mount Vermio carry?
Naoussa PDO
Reserve and Grand Reserve Naoussa is for what styles of wine?
Dry wines only
What are the minimum aging requirements for wines from Naoussa PDO?
Min 1 year aging in oak prior to release.
Naoussa is a mosaic of different soil types, but generally speaking which soils produce wines that are earlier maturing and open when young and which soils produce the appellation’s most age-worthy expressions?
The lighter and sandy soils produce the more forward and earlier-maturing.
The clay and limestone soils tend to produce them most age-worthy expressions and reach the most Barolo-like personality.
What style of wine is made in Goumenissa and from what grapes?
Dry, still red wine only from min 20% Negoska plus Xinomavro
Vines planted on the northwestern slopes of Mount Vermio carry what PDO?
Amynteo PDO
What are the colors, styles and sweetness levels of wines produced in the Amynteo PDO?
Dry, still red and rosé and semi-sweet sparkling rosé from 100% Xinomavro
Which PDO of Macedonia requires a min 20% Negoska ?
Goumenissa PDO
What is Greece’s coolest PDO appellation?
Amynteo PDO
What is the name of the PDO located on the Sithoniá Peninsula? What producer was instrumental in creating it?
Slopes of Meliton PDO; Domaine Carras
What was Greece’s first PDO to incorporate foreign grape varieties? What was the second?
Slopes of Meliton was the first; Messenikola PDO was the second
Which estate pioneered the rediscovery and resurrection of the Malagousia grape?
Domaine Carras
What famous Bordeaux consultant was tapped for the establishment of great wines at Domaine Carras?
Emilye Peynaud
What are the colors, styles, and sweetness levels produced in the Slopes of Meliton PDO? What are the grapes used?
Dry, still red from Lemnio, Cab and Cab Franc
Dry, still white from Roditis, Assyrtiko, and Athiri
What is Lemnia known as on Lemnos?
Kalambaki
The districts of Drama and Kavala are located within which main wine region? What styles of wine are produced there?
Macedonia;
Red Bordeaux Blends and Assyrtiko/Sauvignon Blanc blends.
Evros is a district within which larger wine region? What style of wine is made here?
Thrace; blends of Greek and International varietals
Mount Ismaros and Avdira are IGP areas within which larger wine region?
Thrace
What is the PDO appellation of Epirus? What is appellation and what is the grape used?
Zitsa PDO produced from the Debina Grape.
What are the colors, styles, and sweetness levels produced in the Zitsa PDO?
Dry, still white as well as dry and semi-sweet sparkling white from Debina in either the traditional method or the tank method.
What PGI area of Epirus is home to Greece’s highest vineyards?
Metsovo
What is the top producer in the Metsovo IGP area of Epirus? What style of wines is this producer famous for?
Katogi Averoff
Red wines produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and indigenous grapes such as Vlachiko
Where were Greece’s first Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted?
Metsovo in Epirus
Where is the wine district of Ioannina?
Epirus
The best vines in Metsovo (Epirus) are located on the foothills and slopes of what mountain?
Mount Pindus
Tsantali is a producer most closely responsible for the preservation of what PDO?
Rapsani
What are the three permitted grapes for the production of Rapsani PDO wine?
Xinomavro, Krasato, and Stavroto
What are the colors, styles, and sweetness levels for wines produced in the Rapsani PDO?
Dry, still red wine only.