UNIT 8 – Greece GI and Greek PDO and PGI wines

In Greece, for the last 13 years, EL.G.O. DIMITRA is responsible to award certifications to agricultural firms, apply controls along with the Directorates of the Rural Development of the Prefectures, and check determined requirements to verify products in question. Finally, DIMITRA owns a register of all firms approved for the PDO and PGI indications. The Department of Development and Technology of Food of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food is the authority for granting certifications of GI conformity for the wine sector.

• Greek PDO wines 

In the PDO wines schemes of GI in Greece, are included the formally-known wines with a “Designation of Superior Quality”, i.e., AOQS (ΟΠΑΠ in Greek), that are similar to the French “appellation d’origine de qualité supérieure” from which the name derived from, based on the legislative decree 243/1969 και legislative decree 427/76 , and formally-known wines with a “Controlled Designation of Origin (AOC or ΟΠΕ in Greek)”, which are similar to the French “Appellation d’ Origine Controlee”, again from where the name derived from. Both are nowadays declared just as PDOs. The difference between the two categories of AOQS and AOC is that AOC wines are sweeter (have higher contents of sugar). 

As regards PDO Greek wines (including AOQS and AOC) the eAmbrosia database records 147 in total of which 114 are PGI wines and 33 are PDO.

• PGI Drama Wines (Local Wines of Drama).  From vineyards of the Regional Unity of Drama.  
  

Varieties of PGI Wines in Drama: Assyrtiko, Roditis, Malagouzia, Muscat of Alexandria, Robola, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Semillion, Trebbiano, Viognier, Agiorgitiko, Limnio, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Refosko, Syrah, Tempranillo. The indication and projection of the variety Robola is prohibited (because there is the wine PDO Robola Kefalonia). Types of PGI wines in Drama: white, rosé, red – dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet. Production of sun-dried wines is also allowed. For the production of rosé wines, it is possible to use red varieties & Roditis.

Table 4: PGI wines in Drama region