Greece and Eastern Europe Flashcards
What grape is Retsina made from?
Savvatiano
In Greece, how do “Varietal” wines differ from “Table” wines?
“Varietal” wines are table wines that carry a vintage and a variety on the label. “Table” wines cannot.
What is Verdea?
An oxidative white wine produced on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea.
What does it mean if you see “palaiomenos se vareli” on a label of a PGI wine?
It indicates oak aging beyond the required minimums.
How long must a Cava white/rose wine be aged for?
1 year; 6 months in oak.
Where is Boutari based in Greece?
Naoussa
What style of wine does Goumenissa PDO produce?
Lighter red wines made from Xinomavro with the addition of at least 20% Negoska.
Name a Greek PDO which is allowed to produce semisweet, still, or sparkling rose wines.
Amynteo PDO in Macedonia
In the Rapsani PDO of Thessalia, what two grapes must Xinomavro be blended with?
Krasato and Stavroto
Which Thessalia PDO allows only reds to be produced? Which Thessalia PDO allows only whites?
Reds only- Messenikola PDO
Whites only- Anchialos PDO
What is the only PDO of Epirus?
Zitsa. Dry, Semisweet, and Sparkling wines made from the Debina grape.
What is the main style of wine in Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)?
Retsina, with Attiki being the center of production.
What are the 3 PDO zones of Peloponnese?
Nemea, Mantinia, and Patras
Of the four wine-producing islands Ionian islands, which is the only one to warrant a PDO?
Cephalonia, for dry white wines produced from Robola.
What does the “blood of Hercules” refer to?
The red wines made in Nemea from Agiorgitiko (St. George) grape, commemorating the first of Hercules’ twelve labors.
What is the main grape of Nemea PDO?
Agiorgitiko (St. Geroge)
What is the main grape of Mantinia PDO?
Moschofilero, a red-skinned grape which is highly aromatic like Muscat
What is the main grape of Patras PDO?
Roditis, usually as a dry white wine.
What is Mavrodaphne of Patras?
A sweet, fortified red produced from Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki from the Patras PDO of Peloponnese. Often enjoyed as an aperitif or as a communion sacrament in Greek Orthodox services.
When did the first Monemvassia-Malvasia PDO wine hit the market?
- The PDO was awarded in 2010, and the sweet wine is required to age in an oxidative environment for at least 2 years prior to release.
What are the 4 wine-producing Ionian Islands?
Cephalonia, Kerkyra, Lefkada, and Zakynthos
What were the 3 new PDO zones added to Crete in 2012?
Canida, Malvasia Candia, and Malvasia Sitia.
What are the two most cultivated grapes in Romania?
Feteasca Alba & Feteasca Regala
Where can you find sweet wine in Romania? What grapes are used to make it?
In the Cotnari DOC of Moldavia, primarily using the Grasa de Cotnari grape. Other approved blending grapes include Francusa, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, and Feteasca Alba.
True or False: All Cotnari DOC wines must be sweet in style.
False, dry Cotnari my be produced as well.
Your friends from LA are going to Romania for their honeymoon, and they are starting to really miss the Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon that they usually drink at home. What region should they visit in order to find the wine that they like?
The Dealu Mare DOC within Mutenia-Oltenia, which is gaining a reputation for its Pinot and Cabernet. They could also go to the Murfatlar DOC in Dobrogea.
What is Romania’s coolest wine region? What style of wine is made here?
Tarnave DOC in Transylvania. They produce high acid whites made from Feteasca grapes and the Traminer rose.
Where are Romania’s highest vineyards located?
In Transylvania, located in the center of the country and buffered by the Carpathian peaks.
What would “Vin tânăr” indicate on a Târnave DOC wine?
That it is a “Young wine,” and that it was bottled before the end of the year in which it was produced.
Match the following to the correct definition:
DOC-CT a - grapes harvested at full maturity
DOC-CIB b - late-harvested grapes
DOC- CMD c - botrytis-affected grapes
DOC-CMD: a; DOC-CT: b; DOC-CIB: c
Where is Babadag DOC?
Dobrogei
What is the name of the river that divides Oltenia from Mutenia?
The Olt River
