Greece: Grape Varieties

Question 1

Greece: Roditis

Answer 1

• This is the most planted white grape
• Similar to Moshcofilero
• Pink skinned, produces high yields and used for Retsina and other inexpensive wines
• High acid, medium body and ripe fruit melon flavours

Question 2

Greece: Savatiano

Answer 2

• workhorse grape of the central Greece due to its drought resitance
• Used for large volume production
• Most common ingredient in Retsina
• Subtle citrus, pear and stone fruit as well as nutty with age

Question 3

Greece: Assyrtiko

Answer 3

• Best known and most prized indigenous grape
• Origins are Santorini but is now widely planted on the mainland
• High levels of acid and drought resitant
• Ideal for luscious sweet wines such as Vinsanto
• Dry wines are citrus, stone and tropical , smoky, flint
• Some are aged in oak on lees

Question 4

Greece: Moschofilero

Answer 4

• prized for quality potential
• wines are aromatic citrus, flowers, rose, and spices
• High in acid, light bodied and low in alcohol 12%
• Pink skinned and wines can have a pink tinge - also used for rose
• Planted in Mantinia ( mountains )

Question 5

Greece: Malagousia

Answer 5

• almost extinct , but now has a reputatio for producing high quality wines
• Medium acid, medium body and complex and intense stone fruit and flowers
• SS tank fermented , old oak and some new oak are alll used
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Question 6

Greece: Agiorgitiko

Answer 6

• Most planted black variety
• Veratile grape that produce light , fruity styles and also full bodied ,complex age worthy styles , roses and even sweet wines
• Deep colour, with medium acid, med to high soft tannins and medium alcohol
• Wines are ripe red fruit, or jammy , sweet spices
• Oftern aged in some new oak
• PDO Nemea is highly regarded

Question 7

Greece: Xinamavro

Answer 7

• Most prized indigenous grape
• Grown all over but most famous wines come from Naoussa in northern Macedonia
• likened to Nebbiolo
• When young can be grippy with high levels of acid
• Pale coloured and turn garnet quickly
• Can benefit from long bottle ageing , decades, develping spice, herbs, flowers and leather earthiness
• New styles are softer and more approchable with more fruit , often blended with Merlot

Question 8

Greece: Winemaking

Answer 8

• Tradition - foot stomping and old casks made from oak or chestnut
• Virtually all wineries now use modern presses ad temp controlled SS tanks
• -after 1980, there was a move to new oak barriques for red and white - mainly french oak and some US
• Most are looking for restrained oak
• Modern winemaking used ambient yeats and amohora for a tradiitonal twist - also lees contact for Assyrtiko and Malagousia
• Sun-dried Muscat is also found in sweet wines , a long tradition

Question 9

Greece: Retsina

Answer 9

• pine resin for preservation
• used to seal aphorae and then added for flavouring purposed
• Started in the 19th century with increased tourism after the wars
• Most wines were made cheaply and badly and the resin was used to mask poor /faulty wines
• There are now high quality examples made with ripe grapes and good quality resin
• Most comes from the hot plains
• Savatiano and Roditis are most common
• Resin is added to the must and the wine is left on lees for no more than one week after ferment , leasding to a more subtle integrated pine flavour
• Retsina is now portected with regualtions to ensure quality standards
• Amount of resin, min abv and min acidity levels are regualted
• Does not comply with EU as it is not just grapes
• OKP - Wine of Appellation by Tradition
• Premium bottlings with Assyrtiko are made to imporve the reputation