Loved by many who have visited Greece: traditional Retsina. One of the biggest producers of this white resin wine is Malamatina. Nowadays, the resin is added to the wine, but in the past this was done differently. Because winegrowers used the same barrel for years, damage occurred which was filled with resin from Greek pine trees.
Thousands of years ago, Retsina was aged in wooden barrels. After years of use, these barrels began to wear and leak. The winegrowers could not repair or glue them shut with the tools we know today, so they had to find other solutions. The resin trees in their garden provided resin, a sticky substance perfect for sealing the cracks and holes in the barrels. Six months after the repair, the wine was tapped from the barrels, and to everyone's surprise, the wine smelled very nice, and had acquired a resinous flavour. This is how the traditional Retsina came into being. Nowadays, the resin is added to the barrels manually to create the authentic taste of Retsina.
One of the biggest and most famous producers is Malamatina, which exports its Retsina worldwide, producing up to 50 million bottles a year! Our range also includes more special Restinas from the Kechribaris brand. The Kechribari family from Thessaloniki is able to take Retsina to another level. Around 1980, Retsina was seen as a simple wine of low quality, but Stelios Kechris (maker of the Kechribari wines) made it his mission to change this. If you are a fan of Retsina, you should not miss this winery.
The quality of this resin wine has improved considerably in recent years due to new quality laws. All resin wines that are now on the market under the name Retsina are made under strict supervision and quality rules. Today's Retsina therefore has a light resin taste, and is refreshing and full of flavour. The resin wine contains notes of pine, resin, herbs and citrus fruits. Depending on the quality of the resin and the grapes, the taste of the Retsina varies from brand to brand. The wine goes well with the typical flavours of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine: grilled meat, anchovies, feta cheese and many traditional dishes rich in olive oil.
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