Greece Flashcards
1
Q
Greece up to the Modern Greek State (1830)
A
- at least 5000 yrs (not first, but greatly advanced growing and production)
- part of the symposium (art, philosophy, food and wine)
- “Golden Age” (500-300 BGE) height of Greek wine culture, spread around Med, best world’s best
- earliest wine writing (effect of vineyard location)
- first laws to protect locations, prevent fraud, raise taxes
- wine additives then included herbs, spices, flowers, honey, oils to mask off flavours/ anti oxidisation
- eg pine resin (still used in Retsina)
- 2BCE part of Roman Empire halted Greek exports, declined futher under Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire to point where wine only made locally for village consumption
- Greek revolution 1821 (retreating Ottomans destroyed most of Greece’s agricultural land)
2
Q
Wine from Modern Greece (1830) to date
A
- Modern Greek state established 1830
- Retreating Ottomans, two Balkan wars, two world wars and civil war inhibited recovery
- end 19thC phylloxera (Macedonia 1898)
- most of 20th C seen as cheap, poorly made (esp Retsina made co-ops + few large cos)
- by 1970s small producers bottling wines/ selling outside local area
- by 1980s rapid rise of estate produced, better quality (improved economy, people leaving the big cos and others wanting to make wine)
- most Greek wine still consumed domestcially but 2009 financial crisis forced look at export market
- exports esp indigenous grapes growing (off a low base)
3
Q
Why did international grape varieties become more prevalent in Greece in the 1980s?
A
- Improving Greek economy = a rise in small estate produced higher quality wines.
- International varieties were grown,
- because the domestic market was keen to drink them
- because Greek wine had poor reputation abroad, so producers looking to export wanted to make wine from grapes people had heard of and could pronounce.
- Successful single varietal wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, but mostly blends with local varieties to give consumers something they could recognise on the label.
- Successful examples are Sauvignon Blanc with Assyrtiko and Merlot with Xinomavro.
4
Q
Which two principal Greek grape varieties have pink skins?
A
- Roditis
- Moschofilero
5
Q
Climate in Greece
A
- Generally Mediterranean: long, hot summers (generally 30+, reaching 45oC), short mild winters
- Inland increasingly continental (even hotter summer, cold winter - spring frost in north eg Amyndeon)
- Very varied: mountainous (many of best vineyards at altitude to moderate temperatures)
- Some areas (Amyndeon and Mantinia) occasionally too cool to ripen
- Flatter plains eastern Macedonia, central Greece hotter (near coast sea moderates)
- On islands strong onshore winds (esp on Cyclades islands like Santorini) constant threat
- can stop photosynthesis, interrupt flowering and berry-set and delay ripening
- can destroy unprotected vines, very dry, so increase water stress
- Rainfalls average 400-700mm (but Santorini exceptionally dry)
- Little/no rain in growing season (except in mountains to north and west
- water stress common, irrigation oten essential (where water resources available)
6
Q
latitude of Greek vineyards
A
34o to 42o north
7
Q
Soils in Greece
A
- Very varied, even within small areas
- limestone to volcanic
- usually low in fertility (apart from more fertile plains)
- farmers kept fertile soils for more lucrative, demanding crops
- by default vineyards of grapes (and olives) have ended up on ideal soils
- low yields, low fertility = high quality, characterful wines
8
Q
Average size of a Greek vineyard
A
0.5 ha
9
Q
Explain why Greece is particularly well suited to organic and biodynamic production.
A
- There is very low disease pressure, due to Greece’s hot, dry and windy conditions.
- Historically, viticulture in Greece has been farming organically and these practices have carried through generations.
10
Q
Vineyard management in Greece
A
- 2017 61,500 ha vineyards growing grapes for wine (another 45,000 ha table grapes, raisins)
- av vineyard v small (0.5 ha), so often worked by hand (also rocky terrain)
- grapes often sold to larger producers, co-ops or sell locally
- mix of traditional (eg naturally organic as climate hot, dry, windy)
- and modern (esp since 1981 when joined EU, eg studied viticulture/ experience in other countries, some biodynamique)
- usually trellised, cordon trained with VSP ; some adapted to suit conditions (eg Santorini baskets)
- irrigation is permitted (always drip irrigation)
- mostly for international (eg Cab-Sav, Merlot) as local varieties higher drought tolerance
- water holding capacity of soil in an area is key influence
11
Q
Percentage of indigenous grapes grown in Greece and number grown in significant amounts
A
90% are indigenous
60 are grown in significant amounts
(out of over 200 varieties)
12
Q
Top* 9 grapes in Greece in 2016
and approximate hectares grown
(“selected leading grape varieties”)
A
- Savatiano (white, 10,000+ha)
- Roditis (white - pink skinned, 9,000ha)
- Agiorgitiko (black, 3,500ha)
- Xinomavro (black, 2000+ha)
- Assyrtiko (white, 2000ha)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (2000ha)
- Merlot (1800ha)
- Syrah (600ha)
- Moschofilero (white - pink skinned, 500h)
13
Q
what proportion of wine made in Greece is white?
A
70%
14
Q
one slide on Savatiano
A
- white grape variety
- most planted grape in Greece
- workhorse, as drought resistant
- large volume, inexpensive + main in Retsina
- some v good low yield dry-farmed bush vines
- subtle citrus pear and stone fruit,
- with age nutty character
15
Q
one slide on Roditis
A
- second most planted grape in Greece
- white (but pink skinned, tho’ little effect on colour unless macerated for few hours)
- high yielding, mainly inexpensive + Retsina
- but, like Savatiano, reputation improving with old vines at altitude in Peloponnese
- best are medium bodied, high acidity and flavours of ripe fruit like melon
