Greek White Varieties Flashcards
Aidani: Greek
Color: White
Grape Parentage: unknown
Place of Origin: Cyclades (Santorini), or possibly Adana in south-eastern Turkey
Origin of Grape Name: Possibly derived from the city of Adana
Major Countries of Production: Greece
Synonyms: Aidani Aspro, Aedano Leyko, Aspaedano, Moschaïdano, Aspraïdano
Viticultural Characteristics: Resistance to Drought, Thick-Skinned, High Yielding, Susceptible to Mildew
Preferred Soil Type: volcanic soil
Common Blending Partners: Assyrtiko, Athiri (Aidani is best used as in a blend with Assyrtiko for Vinsanto)
Assytriko: Greek
Color: White
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed, although recent genetic study suggests a parent-offspring relationship with Gaidouria and Platani
Place of Origin: Santorini
Origin of Grape Name: “Assyrtiko” may derive from “Assyrian”
Major Countries of Production:
Greece: 1,821 ha (2012, Greek Ministry of Agriculture)
Synonyms: None
Viticultural Characteristics: Loose Clusters, Small-Berried, Thick-Skinned, Prone to Oxidation, Resistant to Drought, Resistant to Mildew
Preferred Soil Type: volcanic soil
Common Blending Partners: Athiri, Aidani, Malagousia, Sauvignon Blanc
Typical Descriptors and Structure for Santorini Assyrtiko
Visual: Straw with Hints of Green, Moderate Concentration
Aromas/Flavors:
Fruit: Citrus (Lemon, Lime), Yellow Apple, Stone Fruit in warmer vintages
Floral: Citrus Blossoms, Gardenia, Dried Flowers
Oxidative: Slight Hazelnut
Other: Lees, Petrol (particularly after 3-4 years of bottle age)
Earth: Sulfur, Ash, Flint, Gunsmoke, Lava Rock
Oak: None (although most producers do have a barrique-aged bottling in their range)
Structure: Dry, Moderate Plus Body, Low Tannin (Assyrtiko is an extremely phenolic grape), High Acidity (3.0 pH is average), Elevated to High Alcohol
Athiri: Greek
Color: White
Grape Parentage: unknown
Place of Origin: Santorini
Origin of Grape Name: The grape’s name derives from “Thira,” the official name of Santorini and its main city.
Major Countries of Production: Greece (Santorini and Rhodes)
Synonyms: Athiri Aspro, Asparathiri, Athiri Lefko/Leyko
Viticultural Characteristics: Resistance to Drought, Mid-Ripening, Susceptible to Mildew, High Vigor
Preferred Soil Type: calcareous soil
Common Blending Partners: Assyrtiko (in Santorini, Athiri typically blends with Assyrtiko to soften the latter’s high acid and create more approachable dry wines)
Malagousia: Greek
The first commercial release of Malagousia was a 1993 bottling from Porto Carras.
Color: White
Regions of Production: Macedonia, Attica, Peloponnese
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed
Place of Origin: Aitoloakarnania (western Central Greece)
Origin of Grape Name:
Synonyms: None
Viticultural Characteristics: Early-maturing (harvests occur in late August)
Preferred Soil Type:
Common Blending Partners: None
Typical Descriptors and Structure for Malagousia
Aromas/Flavors: Moderate Plus to High Intensity of Aromas, Apricot/Peach, Ripe Pear, Mango, Pyrazine Notes (Bell Pepper), Basil, Mint, Jasmine, New Oak is often used
Structure: Dry (although sweet examples are produced), Moderate Plus Body, Moderate to Moderate Plus Alcohol, Moderate Acid
Moschofilero: Greek
Color: White and Red (some clones are red-skinned, some are white-skinned, but the wine is always white)
Regions of Production: Peloponnese (Mantinia PDO, Arkadia PGI)
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed
Place of Origin: unconfirmed
Origin of Grape Name: “Fileri” is a collective name used for a family of grape varieties since the 1800s. In the early 2000s, the clone Moschofilero (“aromatic” Filero) was isolated in vineyards.
Synonyms: Fileri (however, the red-skinned Fileri Attiki may be a different variety, rather than a clone)
Viticultural Characteristics: Late-maturing (harvests occur in late October)
Major Clones: As of 2012, Greek ampelographers have identified 11 distinct clones of Fileri. The following four are the most important.
- Moschofilero (“aromatic”)
- Mavrofilero (“black”)
- Xanthofilero (“blonde”)
- Asprofilero (“white”)
Preferred Soil Type: Soils vary, but Moschofilero requires cool nights and high altitudes (600 meters above sea level or more) to properly ripen and develop aroma
Common Blending Partners: Asprouda
Typical Descriptors and Structure for Mantinia PDO Moschofilero
Aromas/Flavors: Moderate Plus to High Intensity of Aromas, Sweet Citrus, Lemon Blossom, Kaffir, Rose, No Oak
Structure: Dry, Moderate Body, Moderate Alcohol, Elevated to High Acidity
Robola: Greek
Color: White
Regions of Production: Cephalonia (PDO Robola of Cephalonia and PGI Slopes of Enos)
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed (Robola and Ribolla Gialla are not synonymous)
Place of Origin: unconfirmed
Origin of Grape Name: the name “Robola” may derive from the Greek “rhombus” (“romba” in Italian), a shape associated with mystical properties
Synonyms:
Viticultural Characteristics: Late Flowering yet Early-maturing (there are typically only 60 days between flowering and harvest), Prone to Grey Rot
Major Clones:
Preferred Soil Type: thin, potassium-rich limestone soils (the Italians once referred to Robola of Cephalonia as Vino di Sasso, or “stone wine”)
Common Blending Partners: Robola is typically produced as a varietal wine on Cephalonia, but it may be blended elsewhere with other Ionian white grapes like Tsaoussi, Vostylidi, Kakotrigi, Zakynthino and Mothonios
**As Robola of Cephalonia is Greece’s only “varietal” PDO, the name “Robola” may not be used on labels elsewhere in Greece
Roditis: Greek
Color: White (Pink-Skinned)
Regions of Production: Roditis is the second most planted white grape throughout Greece, but the best varietal examples are produced in Patras PDO.
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed
Place of Origin: Peloponnese
Origin of Grape Name: “Roditis”, like “Rhodes”, translates to “rose.” The variety was presumably named for the rosy color of its ripe grapes.
Synonyms: None (however, the name “Rhoditis” is often applied to other unrelated pink-skinned grapes in Greece)
Viticultural Characteristics: Late-maturing (harvests occur in late September/early October), Low pH (3.1-3.2 average)
Major Clones:
- Alepou (“fox”): This clone is the most aromatic, and it reaches the highest sugar content at harvest.
- Gaidouro (“donkey”)
- Green (the “classic” clone)
Preferred Soil Type:
Common Blending Partners: Savvatiano, Assyrtiko
Savvatino: Greek
Color: White
Regions of Production: Central Greece (Attiki, Viotia, Evia)
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed
Place of Origin: Attiki (Attica)
Origin of Grape Name: “Savvatiano” is the Greek word for “Sabbath”, or “Saturday”
Synonyms: Asprouda, Doumbrena Aspri, Kountoura Aspri, Perahoritiko, Sakeiko
Viticultural Characteristics: Late-maturing (mid- to late September), Disease-Resistant
Preferred Soil Type:
Common Blending Partners: Roditis
Vidiano: Greek
Color: White
Regions of Production: Crete (PGI Crete, Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion)
Grape Parentage: unconfirmed
Place of Origin: Crete
Synonyms: Avidiano
Viticultural Characteristics: Late-Ripening
Major Clones:
Preferred Soil Type:
Common Blending Partners: Vilana, Plyto
Thrace- Greece
Roditis, Limnio
Macedonia- Greece
Xinomavro
Epirus- Greece
Debina
Thessalia- Greece
Xinomavro
Central Greece (Sterea Ellada)- Greece
Savatiano
Peloponnese- Greece
Agiorghitiko, Moschofilero
