Greek retsina wines, white and dry
Retsina has been made for at least 2000 years. At that time, wine was stored in amphorae and in goatskin skins.
These "containers" were sealed with resin. This made the wine more durable, but also changed the aroma.
Even then, its taste was very popular and it has remained so. Retsina has been a traditional trade name since 1940 and is only produced in Greece and Cyprus.
The well-known, (mostly white) dry Restina wines are quality products that are made with the help of pine resin and the natural resin Sandarak and therefore have a special taste. These resins are added in small pieces during fermentation and removed again during filtration. Today - in contrast to earlier times - a resin content of 1% - 2% is completely sufficient.
Retsina is suitable as a table wine, goes well with salads and also with appetizers. It also tastes good as a refreshment in summer, or as an ingredient for various mixed drinks. The bitter taste of Retsina wines stimulates the appetite and is also said to help with stomach ailments. The most important production areas for Greek retsina are Attica and Euboea, not far from Athens. The leading Retsina brands today are Malamatina and Georgiagis, but the Retsina wine from winemaker Tzivani, which uses a very low resin content, is also of high quality.