Say ‘Greek wine’ and most people will answer ‘retsina’. Cheap, plentiful and easy to find, it was ubiquitous in the Sixties and Seventies. Now that Greece’s wine industry has matured  beyond this pale yellow wine with the resin flavor, some winemakers are looking at it with more than just nostalgia.

When it comes to its history and cultural heritage, Greece is known the world-round. When it comes to cuisine, Greek foods are recognized as the backbone of the healthful Mediterranean cuisine while several items, among them souvlaki and moussaka, have entered the global gastronomic culture. But when it comes to wine, retsina seems to overshadow the industry with its stigma of a mass produced, poor quality cheap plonk with an overpowering resin bite. Connoisseurs now know that Greece produces a range of fine wines, thanks to the industry’s efforts to promote their best vintages to counter the retsina image. Retsina–with its sharp flavor–is definitely an acquired taste and, as its fans attest, is a good accompaniment to the simple Greek taverna fare.
Retsina gets its sharp, and unique, flavor from pine resin. Labeled Greece’s national beverage during the tourism boom in the Sixties, retsina saw production reach its peak as tourists associated its taste with Greek island holidays. Traditionally the wine of Attica–something that didn’t just hold true in antiquity but also today as several large retsina producers are located in the basin surrounding Athens–its production spread to other parts of Greece as winemakers struggled to meet demand. Through the mid-Eighties, retsina was almost the only wine you could find at tavernas in tourist resorts, save for locally-produced hima drawn from the barrel. But with consumers’ tastes becoming more sophisticated, so did Greek winemakers, who focused their energies on developing more subtle and complex vintages. Retsina, in its clear glass bottle sealed with a metal crown caps, now seems quaint, if not a little unrefined. Sales have accordingly declined.
“Retsina is losing about fifteen percent of its market share annually,” says Vassilis Kourtakis, who produces Greece’s top retsina brand. Indeed, from about three million cases per year, the company now sells 850,000. To stem the losses, Kourtaki and Malamatina, its main rival, have reduced the amount of resin in their wines.
Retsina is the oldest Greek wine and the first known vintage produced when Greek wine production began around 1500 B.C. Lab analyses of organic residues on ancient vessels prove that the Greeks used aromatic herbs or other substances, such as toasted oak and figs, to flavor wine, suggesting that their palates had already developed quite sophisticated tastes. But pine resin was not initially used as a flavoring but as a sealant for the interior porous surface of the clay amphorae used to store and transport wine, especially during long sea journeys as wine was widely used for trade. In fact, the ancient Greeks sweetened their wine with honey to cover the taste of the resin. Later, the invention of glass meant that wine, and other liquids, eliminated the need for surface sealants but the practice of flavoring wines with pine resin persisted.
Making retsina today is rather simple. Once the grapes are collected and pressed in their respective containers, winemakers add a small amount–typically a small cube–of pine sap during the early stages of fermentation.
With Greece’s wine industry now more firmly established on the international scene, the country’s most prestigious and reputable winemakers have been looking towards tradition as a source for new products, either by introducing new international varietals or reviving the cultivation of obscure,  indigenous varietals. Organic cultivation is one area of growth, while hand-crafted wines are also attracting considerable attention. Even retsina is getting a second look.
Fans say retsina is one of those wines that doesn’t travel. It has to be savored in its natural setting to be fully appreciated as its flavor is enhanced by the environment and the flavors of local foods, whether a tart taramosalata or a plate of olives, smooth fava, or a small dish of barbecued octopus. Next time you’re in Greece, it’s worth giving retsina another chance, especially as a number of winemakers are now producing interesting vintages. Aside from the ubiquitous Kourtaki, produced in Markopoulo on the outskirts of Athens since the late nineteenth century, and Malamatina, a winery established in northern Greece since roughly the same time, other winemakers offer some good retsina. The Santorini-based Gaia has introduced Retinitis, an attempt to take retsina upmarket, while Boutari also produces a popular, well-balanced retsina. Retsina is also produced by the Tsantali and Kechris wineries.

St George the Grape

Many wine growing countries across the world are usually noted for their prize grape varietals that places them on the international map. France dominates the wine culture with Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia with Shiraz, Italy with Sangiovese, and now Greece with Agiorgitiko.
Agiorgitiko, which is probably one of the oldest grapes in cultivation, traces its roots back 3,000 years to the region of Nemea in the northern Peloponnese. The grape is named after a small local church, Agios Georgios or Saint George, that dates from the Early Byzantine era and is the oldest surviving church in the village.
Today, Agiorgitiko is the most widely-planted varietal in Greece. In its most natural form, Agiorgitiko is the best representation of Greece’s potential of high quality produced wines. According to a survey of Greek winemakers, the most common comparison noted for this noble varietal was Merlot, a red grape that produces a medium-bodied wine with hints of berry and currant. The comparison was not drawn to taste, but rather to certain characteristics found in both wines.
Sipping Agiorgitiko, you’ll inhale the subtle aromas of dark cherries and exotic berries. Selections that have no contact with oak barrels will give you an abundance of rich flavors from the grape, great balance, and a smooth finish. The wine is light, lively and very smooth.
Although cultivated around Greece, Nemea remains at the heart of Agiorgitiko production. Yannis Paraskevopoulos, whose Gaia winery is located on an elevated site at Nemea, produces an excellent Agiorgitiko, while George Palivos and Athanassios Papaioannou are also attracting international attention with their Agiorgitiko produced at their respective Nemean wineries.

Oenophile’s Choice

Malamatina
This fresh and crisp selection with just a tint of resin will make you view retsina in a completely different light. As one of the most famous retsina producers in northern Greece, Malamatina produces this subtle but yet refreshing wine that is also known for its half bottle size (500 ml) sealed with a bottle cap. A great pick that will enhance your grilled fish or seafood, especially when drizzled with olive oil and herbs as these beautifully complement the floral flavors of Malamatina Retsina.
Sells for around $5 in the United States and €3.75 in Greece.

2001 Gaias Estates
The king of the Agiorgitiko wines, this selection is an fine red wine that will make an impression with its intense berry flavor. Oak-aged in French barrels, the 2001 Gaia Estates has great body and long, lingering finish. The trophy wine from Yannis Paraskevopoulos’s collection, this agiorgitiko measures up against any well-made Bordeaux. An excellent accompaniment for filet mignon as its great structure cuts into the meat’s juicy flavor. This wine is an excellent addition to your wine cellar.
Sells for around $32 in the United States and €24 in Greece.

Issue: March/April 2007