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Retsina Wines


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About Retsina

(Synonyms: none.)

Background

Map showing Greece

Retsina is not a grape, but rather a wine-making treatment originating in Greece. Retsina wines are wines—virtually always whites—that have been flavored with pine resin. The custom presumably arose from the technique the ancient Greeks, who were major wine producers and exporters, used to seal the amphorae in which they shipped wine so as to make the containers air-tight (to avoid oxidation spoilage). Over time, the taste the resin imparted to the wines became a thing desired in itself rather than accepted as a necessity.

For a long time (in the modern era), Retsina was looked down on as cheap, trashy, vile-tasting rotgut; and frankly, the stuff being made then—and, sad to say, to a great extent even today—deserved that reputation. But…the most recent generation of Greek winemakers has given us several who are determined that Retsina can be made as rather good wine, and they have set out to prove that. Many critics seem to feel that they have successfully made their point.

These new-wave Retsinas are made from, to begin with, inherently good base wines (most often Savatiano but sometimes Roditis or Athiri, and occasionally a few others as lesser ingredients to a blend). Then, the resination treatment is done with a light hand, so you don’t end up with an alcoholic version of Pine-Sol.

If you have never had a Retsina, or recall some early dire experiences, give one or two of the new-wave Retsinas a try.

Factoid: The name “Retsina” derives simply from the Greek word for “resin”.

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Some Descriptions of Retsina Wines

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Some Retsinas to Try

(About this list.)

There are several Retsinas that are made in the modern style and have garnered good reviews. These are they, and they are almost all in the U.S. market within our price range that are probably worth trying (“almost” because there are a couple of reputedly fine ones with nearly no U.S. market availability, so that we did not include them here).


Mylonas Retsina
(Savatiano)

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.



Tetramythos Retsina
(Roditis)

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.



Papagiannakos Retsina
(Savatiano)

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.



Tsantali Retsina
(Roditis)

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.



Loukatos Retsina
(Roditis)

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.

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For a Splurge

Our nomination is the Assyrtiko-based Kechris “Tear of the Pine” Retsina, which retails for from about $18 to $25. Regrettably, it is rather scarce: if you ever find a bottle, do give it a go.

• This wine’s Wine Searcher “Reviews” page.
• This wine’s CellarTracker review pages.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher.
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks.

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 6 November 2021, at 9:14 pm Pacific Time.