Retsina Production

Retsina — wine preserved with pine resin — is a 3,000-year unbroken tradition. Originally practical (the resin sealed clay amphorae), now cultural. Modern producers make quality Retsina that's a far cry from the tourist stuff.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Read the Plain That Fed Ancient Athens for 3,000 Years History · Free

   Where: The Mesogaia plain between Spata and Markopoulo, East Attica — 30km east of Athens city center. Take the suburban railway (Proastiakos) toward Athens Airport and get off at Koropi or Markopoulo, or drive east on the Athens-Korinth highway and exit toward Markopoulo. Stand at any vineyard access road on the flat limestone plain.

   What: Pliny the Elder documented in Naturalis Historia (77 AD) that the Greeks added Aleppo pine resin to their wine from this exact region. Evidence of pine resin in Greek amphorae goes back to the 13th century BC — earlier finds on Crete push it to 2700 BC. The Mesogaia ('Middle Land') plain was ancient Athens' primary agricultural hinterland: the vineyards here are 30km from the Acropolis and have been supplying the city with wine since before democracy existed. The vines you're looking at are gobelet-trained (bush vines) Savatiano — grown without irrigation on limestone, in a landscape that has looked roughly like this since Attic farmers were pressing grapes for Platonic symposia. No winery, no tasting fee. Just stand here and understand the geography: Mount Pendeli behind you to the north, Mount Hymettus to the south. This is the bowl that made Athens drunk for 3,000 years.

   How: Walk slowly along any vineyard road in the Spata or Markopoulo area. The vines are bush-trained low to the ground — look for the gobelet form, a crown of canes with no wire support. In summer you'll see the heavy limestone dust on the leaves. This is the heat and drought Savatiano evolved to survive. Duration: 20–30 minutes. Entirely free.

   Backup: If you can't access a vineyard road, the drive between Spata and Markopoulo on the main road passes the vineyards continuously. A car window works fine — the landscape itself is the experience.

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2. 2 Taste the Wine Pliny Documented — From 70-Year-Old Vines Wine · Price: low

   Where: Domaine Papagiannakos, Pousi-Kalogeri, 19003 Markopoulo, Mesogaia. Book in advance: visit@papagiannakos.gr or +30 2299025206. GPS: 37.9046, 23.9835.

   What: In Book 14.124 of Naturalis Historia (77 AD), Pliny the Elder explicitly recommends adding Aleppo pine resin to fermenting Greek must. Columella went further in De Re Rustica (Book 12.20.3, 12.22.2), documenting the exact resin types used — the earliest written record of resinated wine. Papagiannakos is now in its 3rd generation (founded 1919) making Retsina from Savatiano grown on 70-year-old unirrigated vines on north-facing limestone in Markopoulo. Vassilis Papagiannakos: 'We pick early, ferment cool and use small amounts of pine resin from local trees — a 20-day infusion during fermentation in stainless steel.' Pine resin: 0.15% to 1% of the final product by EU law. The ancient version would have been far more aggressive. This is 2,000 years of refinement in a glass.

   How: Book the winery tour (approximately €15–25 per person; confirm current pricing by email). Ask to taste the Retsina directly alongside the Savatiano Old Vines to understand what the resin adds. Papagiannakos was the first bioclimatic winery in Greece (completed 2007, gravity-flow architecture). Bottle prices at the estate: €8–35 across the range; Savatiano Old Vines ~€10–12; Retsina ~€8–10.

   Backup: If no tour slots are available, buy bottles at the estate shop and taste in the winery gardens. The Savatiano + Retsina comparison works equally well without a formal tour.

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3. 3 Drink Retsina Cold From a Carafe in the Ancient Pantry of Athens Adventure · Price: low

   Where: Any traditional taverna in the center of Markopoulo or Spata village, Mesogaia plain. In Markopoulo: look for family tavernas on the main plateia (central square) and the streets immediately behind the church. Before lunch: stop at the Kostarelos Cheese Factory in Markopoulo (barrel-aged feta made since the 1930s) for the freshest sheep's yogurt in Attica — this is layer-3 Mesogaia, not on any tour operator's list.

   What: The correct way to drink Retsina has not changed in 3,000 years: cold, in a half-litre karafaki (carafe), at a simple table, with grilled protein and sharp cheese. Order paidakia (lamb chops) or tsipoura (sea bream) grilled over charcoal, plus a plate of barrel-aged feta. The pine resin + Savatiano acidity cuts through fat exactly as the ancients found it did. The Mesogaia plain was Athens' pantry — it supplied the city's markets with wine, grain, olives and cheese for millennia. You are eating and drinking what the Agora vendors were selling.

   How: Walk in, seat yourself. Order house Retsina as a carafe (karafaki) and ask for it chilled: 'Ena karafaki retsina, parakalo, pagomeno.' Drink the first glass slowly before food arrives — on its own the pine resin is most present; with grilled lamb it recedes and the Savatiano minerality comes forward. Budget: full lunch with wine for two under €40.

   Backup: If the village tavernas are closed (often closed Monday), the Sofitel Athens Airport Mesoghaia Restaurant in Spata serves Attica wines and regional dishes and is open 24 hours. Not the local experience but the wines are correct.

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4. 4 Order Two Glasses That Explain All of Greek Wine Identity Wine · Price: moderate

   Where: Heteroclito wine bar, Fokionos 2 & Petraki, 10563 Athens, near Syntagma Square. Open Mon–Thu 12:30–midnight, Fri–Sat 12:30–1:30am, Sun 18:00–midnight. Walk-in. Phone: +30 210 32 39 406. GPS: 37.9748, 23.7321.

   What: Two glasses. That's the entire story of Greek wine identity in one sitting. Glass 1: artisanal Retsina — Papagiannakos 2024, or Gaia 'Ritinitis Nobilis' (the wine that launched the quality revival in 1996, made from Roditis near Corinth, rated 93 points Wine & Spirits, approximately €8–10 per glass). Pine needle and lime pith on the nose, restrained, mineral. The ancient mainland technique: Aleppo pine resin in fermenting must, documented by Columella in the 1st century AD and still practiced today. Glass 2: Gaia 'Thalassitis' Assyrtiko from Santorini, or Domaine Sigalas, or Hatzidakis (approximately €10–15 per glass). Volcanic basalt soil, basket-trained kouloura vines, some pre-phylloxera because sandy volcanic soil stops the aphid. Pure electricity: saline, flint, lemon oil, long acid spine. The island volcanic tradition — geologically opposite to Mesogaia limestone.

   How: Ask the Heteroclito staff for an artisanal Retsina and a Santorini Assyrtiko. They have 200+ Greek labels and will understand the request. Taste Retsina first (lighter, aromatic). Then Assyrtiko (structured, mineral-driven, longer). Together: mainland pine-resin tradition vs. volcanic island terroir. Two wines, two completely different answers to the question of what Greek wine IS — and both rooted in the same ancient civilization.

   Backup: If Heteroclito is full, try By The Glass (Karneadou 26, Kolonaki) — serious Greek list, same contrast tasting possible anywhere with a decent selection.

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Insider tips

• Kechris makes excellent modern Retsina

• Gaia Ritinitis is a revelation

• Forget the tourist Retsina — this is different

• Perfect with Greek meze