About 4,000 years ago, ancient Greeks on the island of Crete, followed later by the Romans, added pine resin to seal the amphorae they used for bulk transport of wine. Soon, the addition of pine resin became a standard practice, not only as a seal, but also to better preserve wine from spoilage and oxidation. This eventually led to the birth of the first resinated wines, as many consumers became fond of the associated resin and balsamic aromas.
Of those resinated wines, Greek Retsina, made by adding a special type of resin before or during fermentation of the base wine, remains the most famous. After the tourism boom of the 1960s, Retsina became almost synonymous with Greek summers, linked to taverns by the sea, hot Mediterranean sun and cheap vacations. Leaving Athens, it was the only wine memory the tourists took back home and consequently turned out to be the equivalent of Greek wine for many decades. Pine-scented Retsina became both a blessing and a curse for the Greek wine industry.
Unfortunately and because of the high demand, this fame was linked to low-quality wines, much of them sold in bulk, with resin added in order to mask any flaws from poor grape quality and dreadful winemaking. The resulting wine was unbalanced, with oxidised fruit and overwhelming resin flavours. Poor quality has ever since affected the image of Greek wines, as there are still consumers who think that all Greek wines taste like cheap Retsina.
New styles emerge
Stelios Kechris, one of the most respected Retsina producers, whose winery has produced Kechribari Retsina since 1939, states that Retsina production now represents about 10% of the total 2.9m hL wine production in Greece. He adds that despite a decreasing trend over the last two decades he can see signs of stabilisation because of the emerging, modern approaches of the style. He furthermore points out that 80% is consumed in domestic market, yet he notes its growing market share in wine bars, as younger generations begin to embrace it.
This is partly due to the significant progress of the Greek wine industry in the last 20 years, which has encouraged the evolution of a new generation of Retsinas. The makers of these wines focus on innovation, quality and individuality, with clear signs that a dynamic team of Greek winemakers is willing to redefine this classic style.
Game-changers of this new generation include Ritinitis Nobilis from Gaia Wines, produced from semi-mountainous Roditis, and Tear of the Pine from Kechris Estate, an innovative Assyrtiko Retsina from Macedonia. The latest newcomer to make waves is Tetramythos Retsina from mountainous Roditis grown at 800 metres and fermented in amphorae. Other Retsinas to watch come from Papagiannakos, Vassiliou, Mylonas and Markou in the Attica region.
All of these wines aim for delicacy and a balanced resin expression that complements, rather than overwhelms, a good quality wine base. Vassilis Papagiannakos, another representative maker of new-age Retsinas, that focuses on the Savatiano renaissance in Attica, comments that he uses the same raw material as for his dry Savatiano as he does for Retsina, because a good quality base is necessary for a delicious Retsina.
There is an obvious trend towards this more sophisticated style, both from producers and knowledgeable consumers, even if mass-market stuff still dominates the market. Aristos Spanos, co-owner of Tetramythos, notes that they have increased production of Retsina from 3,000 bottles in 2012 to 30,000 bottles in 2014. Kechris reports that both his Kechribari and Tear of the Pine show a steady annual sales increase of 25%. For Papagiannakos, it’s 20% per annum.
The wider world
Export numbers from Kechris clearly indicate the difference that a traditional and a modern approach makes; Kechribari, his traditional label, represents 32% of his Retsina exports; for Tear of the Pine, it’s 60%. Tetramythos exports 96.5% of its production, mostly to wine bars and online wine shops. Only 5% of this reached Greek restaurants.
But while Retsina’s quality is better than ever, it is still very difficult to change older perceptions. It is obvious that a new marketing strategy is needed. One obvious avenue is Retsina’s food-friendly character that can pair with tapas-style foods, along with sushi and sashimi. Retsina’s characters can also complement some Asian cuisines, such as Chinese or Thai.
Another possible solution is to create a new classification for the wine that goes beyond traditional geographic appellations that say nothing about the wine’s quality.
Few wines show a more authentic Greek character than Retsina and there are indications that the style is very much alive and kicking. What it needs now is a good strategy that will take it to the world.
