A few weeks ago, I was coming back from a meeting with some business partners and we stopped at a Greek restaurant for lunch. One partner, who is Greek, said I had to try their specialty. The bottle cap on top should have given me a good idea what I was about to taste. This dry white, or should I say deep yellow, wine dates back nearly 2000 years ago. Back then, without the equipment and bottling we have today, pine resin was added to the wine to keep it from spoiling. Unfortunately, when they started using barrels, they did not remove this ingredient as it was now what they expected from this wine. It has the distinct aroma of pine needles, varnish and some citrus. We had a cleaning detergent that smelled like this as a kid. They claim you should also taste the pine resin, but it tasted just like what shoe polish smells like. I think I would prefer the shoe polish next time. Retsina is the name for a Greek wine that has been flavored with sandarac, a resin obtained from a Calitis tree. Who needs oak when you have pine resin. There is a minimal 11% alcohol content. It retails for about $4-$5. This has to be one of the most unusual wines I have ever tasted. Additionally, this is NOT a wine to pair with foods. No offense Peter but this is a big pass!!!
LOL! Good to know! :P
ReplyDeleteOh man, that sounds rough!
ReplyDeleteThe Greeks do have some other fabulous wines though... you'll have to stick with those next time :)
I guess it has an acquired taste. I love Retsina!
ReplyDeleteBecky, to be fair I will give it another try. - Jason
ReplyDeleteI was hooked on Retsina the very first time I tasted it. My dad, however, said it tasted like turpentine to him. Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but I still love it and think it pairs well with meze (Greek for appetizers), especially Taramasalata, Hummus bi Tahini, olives, cheeses, etc. I find it interesting that hops were initially used to prevent beer from spoiling so easily, before Louis Pasteur discovered the "Germ Theory", with all their fragrances and notable bitterness, yet beer would not be "beer", as we all know it if the hops were omitted. To me, an "oaky" wine has it's own "woody" flavour, just as a "piny" wine has its. Like one of my grandmothers use to say, "Our differences is what makes the world go around."
ReplyDeleteI know most people can't stand Retsina, including a few Greeks I know! I'm not sure it is an acquired taste; you love it or hate it. For me, I've loved it since my first glass forty years ago. My only complaint is that most producers seem to be dialing down the pine resin, which is the whole point of the wine.
ReplyDeleteI love this wine... it's dry and piney, which probably seems unusual for modern day wine drinkers, but has been a staple in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years... I'll take it over a "cat piss" sauv blanc any day.
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