History, Geogrpahy, and Wine Law Flashcards
What was the role of oenohoos in Ancient Greece?
They were responsible for blending the wine with water in order to stoke a lively discourse at a symposium while avoiding drunkness
Where did “Greek” wine originate?
The island of Crete with the Minoans
What changed for Greek wine during the Byzantine era?
Wooden barrels were introduced
Sweet wines from dried grapes became popular
Wine was not watered down
What product bolstered Greece’s wine industry in the 1880s?
Raisins! And wine made from raisins that help satiate the French during Phylloxera
What succession of wars encouraged quantity over quality in Greek wine production?
The Balkan War
WWI
WWII
The Greek Civil War
What tree is the resin used to make Retsina extracted from?
Aleppo pine
What are the two traditional PGIs of Greece?
Retsina and Verdea
What grape varieties must retsina be made from?
Savatiano and Roditis
What is retsina rosé called?
Kokkineli
When did Greece enact its first modern wine laws?
1969 / 1970
Which companies in Greece were important to the quality revolution of the 1970s?
Boutari
Porto Carras
Achaia Clauss
Kambas
Kourtakis
Tsantali
Which mountain range forms the “spine” of Greece?
Pindos - the Southernmost extension of the central Alps
What seas surround Greece?
Aegean to the East
Ioanian to the West
Libyan to the South of Crete
What two groups are the Aegean island divided into?
The Dodecanese and the Cyclades
What role does irrigation play in Greece?
Although technically outlawed by the EU irrigation is regular in Greek vineyards, this is because the EU grants exceptions for new vine and times of drought or extreme heat
What cool wind comes down from the North to effect Greece?
The Meltemi
What is the difference between:
Vin Naturellement Doux
Vin Doux
Vin Doux Naturel
All sweet wines
Vin Naturellement Doux - unfortified, from dried grapes
Vin Doux - fortified unfermented must
Vin Doux Naturel - a partially fermented wine is fortified
What are wines usually fortified with?
Greek grappa - Tsipouru
What were the original designations of origin in Greek wine law from the 1970s?
OPAP and OPE - now PDOs
TO - now PGI
Which Greek PDOs are NOT dedicated to indigenous varieties?
Slopes of Meliton
Messenikola
What % of grapes must be grown and vinified within the appellation to qualify for PDO status?
100%
Why % of grapes must come from a PGI in order to specify the PGI region in the label?
85%, but 100% must be vinified within the PGI
What are the three levels of Greek PGIs?
Regional
District
Area
What is the Verdea PGI for?
Oxydized white wine from the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian
