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An Introduction to Greek Wine

• wahern 5y ago
  > Finally, sophisticated wines had substances added that enhanced the flavour or anthosmia (bouquet). Ritinitis was called after the resin added, thalassitis was named for the sea-water added, psithian was probably named after the wormwood (apsinthion) added for its aromatic character, and so on. I thought retsina (ritinitis) was a somewhat more modern wine that added resin to mimic ancient Greek wines, which invariably took on the taste of the pine resin used to seal wine jars. I guess I was mistaken, or perhaps there's confusion with the time periods. For some reason I actually enjoy retsina. Not the weak stuff, but the stuff that waiters have tried to warn me tastes like kerosene. (Doesn't taste like kerosene to me, but I could see where they were coming from.) Unfortunately, I don't know how to find it--the kind I've only chanced upon a few times at random Greek restaurants. Retsinas I've purchased at wine stores have only a very weak resin flavor, which just tastes like someone ruined what could have been a nice white wine of some other type.