Retsina

Retsina (ρετσίνα) is a traditional Greek resinated white wine, distinguished from other wines by the small amount of Aleppo pine resin that is added to the must during fermentation. The resin, traditionally used to seal porous clay amphorae, gives the finished wine its characteristic aroma of pine, herbs and a slightly oily texture, and the style has been made in the eastern Mediterranean for at least two thousand years. The Romans recorded the practice in detail, and the wine remained a regional specialty of the Byzantine world long after the rest of the empire had moved to barrel-aged wines without resin.

Modern retsina is produced throughout Greece, with the major production zones in Attica, Boeotia and Euboea, and the European Union recognises retsina as a protected designation of origin. The traditional grape is Savatiano, often blended with Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, and the resin is added in much smaller doses than in antiquity, giving a cleaner, more food-friendly profile. Retsina is the classic accompaniment to strong-flavoured Greek mezedes such as grilled octopus, fried sardines, feta and skordalia, and is widely served at seaside tavernas from Athens to the islands.

The practice of resinating wine in Greece traces back to antiquity, when pine resin was used to seal clay amphorae, inadvertently imparting a resinous character to the wine. Over time, this became an intentional flavoring tradition, particularly in regions where pine forests were abundant, though the exact point at which the addition became deliberate is debated. The modern version, made with Aleppo pine resin added during fermentation, descends directly from this ancient practice.

Retsina is most strongly associated with the regions of Attica, Boeotia, and Euboea, where the style has been maintained for centuries. Historically a humble taverna wine, it holds deep cultural significance as an everyday companion to meze and grilled fish, embodying a rustic, unpretentious Greek dining tradition. In recent decades, some producers have crafted more refined, controlled retsinas, earning renewed recognition while preserving its distinctive link to the past.