Oeno Wine Education Greece

 History of Greece

The origins of wine can be traced back to Easter Europe and the oldest clay amphoras date to around 6000 BC in what later becameCambodia and Greece. Many historians credit many modern associations with wine to the greek. They’re culture was the first tomake wine available to the common people. As ancient Greece expanded much of their trade industry was based on the productionand sale of wine. The Greek city-states then began to establish colonies throughout the Mediterranean. The settlers, alreadyexperienced in vine cultivation, brought grapevines with them and were able to better cultivate already-existing vineyards. Movingwest, Sicily and southern Italy were the first colonies established by ancient Greeks. Greeks even called the southern part of the Italian Peninsula Oenotria (“the land of vines”). With the decline of the greek empire the wine industry slowly shrank, dwarfed bythe Italian and French success only in recent years has the greek wine scene been brought to global attention.

Greek wine laws and Labels

The wines produced by countries in the European Union, of which Greece is a member, are divided into two major categories:VQPRD (French for Quality Wines Produced in a Determined Region) and Table Wines. A superior category for the Table Winesis the Regional Wines also referred to as Vins de Pays.

There are 28 Appellations in Greece. 20 are Appellations of Superior Quality for dry wines and 8 are Appellations of Controlled Origin for dessert wines.

Greek Grape Varieties Assyrtiko

Assyrtiko is one of the top wines in Greece, produced all over the country. Assyrtiko’s most impressive region is its place oforigin on the island of Santorini. This is a lean white wine with passion fruit, flint, and lemon flavors, subtle bitterness, and saltiness on the finish.

Assyrtiko labeled as Nykteri (“nith-terry”) are always oaked and offer more lemon brûlée, pineapple, fennel, cream, and baked pie crust notes.

Moschofilero

On central Peloponnese, close to Tripoli, grows Moschofilero, a lovely dry, aromatic white wine with flavors of peach, potpourri, and sweet lemon. As the wines age, they develop more nectarine and apricot flavors with toasted hazelnut or almond notes.

Retsina

A specialty of Greece is a white wine infused with the sap of the Aleppo pine tree. Retsina wines have aromas of linseed oil and lime peel that lead into flavors of apples and roses, with a subtle piney, saline finish.

Agiorgitiko

Agiorgitiko (Ah-your-yeek-tee-ko) is a well-known wine from Nemea, a region in Peloponnese which is most famous for this grape. These red wines are full-bodied with flavors of sweet raspberry, black currant, plum sauce, and nutmeg with subtle bitter herbs (somewhat like oregano) and smooth tannins.