Uncompromisingly Mediterranean in its rustic simplicity and traditional flare. An antique revival for the wanderlust at heart.
Bright straw yellow colour, straight forward and intense herbaceous aromas of rosemary, sage, and pine sap with a hint of pear, light and crisp on the palate with high acidity and minerality, finishing clean and easy.
Food pairings: This wine has a light structure with lots of refreshing acidity and aromatic character. It would be best paired with Greek food, of course, or light dishes seasoned with fresh herbs or garlic. Some examples include: Greek salad, pasta with pesto, rosemary and lemon chicken with roasted vegetables.
“Retsina is a way of life. It is timeless. It fits with everyone, speaks to our hearts and accompanies our most beautiful moments… our purpose is that the whole world taste it, as our ancestors did”
-Malamatina
The history of Retsina wine dates back at least 2,000 years to the time of the Ancient Greeks. Due to the difficulty of transporting and conserving wine, the Ancient Greeks would line terracotta amphoras with Aleppo pine resin. This in part masked the rancidness of the wine and in part prevented the amphoras from leaking. The particular flavour that the resin gave the wine set Greek wine a part and was appreciated in other parts of the Mediterranean, thus wine makers decided to add it directly to the wine. The Romans carried on the tradition, but once they developed a system of making leak proof barrels they abandoned the use. However, the Greeks had acquired a taste for it and continue to produce resinated wines today.
Malamatina is a 5th generation family tradition devoted to the production and world wide diffusion of Retsina. The family started to experiment with this antique style in 1895 and throughout the years incorporated modern technology and wine making techniques to make the highest quality Retsina possible.
Following their ancestors, the wine is made from a blend of Savatiano and Roditis grapes. The wine is fermented at a controlled temperature with the addition of pieces of pine resin from Aleppo Pine trees. The wine is then clarified, removing any solid pieces, and bottled.
Malamatina owns one of the oldest and largest wineries in Greece, Faros winery, and one of the biggest bottling plants in Europe in Thessaloniki. They produce over 50 million bottles a year exported in 25 countries around the world.
Vinthropology 
This brings back memories of student days when I swore I’d never touch Retsina or Chablis from Spain ! again! And I haven’t!
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🤣 Well it might not be the most elegant of wines but I can’t resist ordering it every time I go to a Greek restaurant.
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Well said, I do believe in “eat local drink local” but I can’t remember when we last ate in a Greek restaurant. We last visited Athens in 1996, but there are no Greek restaurants in Cotswolds villages sadly! We seem to be obsessed with attempts at French cuisine or curry houses😢
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Greece is definitely on my travel bucket list! Interesting, the south of Italy is full of Greek restaurants but you’d be hard pressed to find French or Indian. There’s a massive sushi trend at the moment.
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Retsina is like ouzo. The first 2 days in Greece it tastes fine but only for the first 2 days.
I am in Italy now, in Bologna, the food here is wonderful!
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Ill have to try out your theory! I’ve only ever had it on separate occasions at meal time. I’m so glad you’re enjoying Italy! Bologna is known as the best (one of the best) region in Italy for food. Have you tried some Lambrusco? Haven’t forgotten about your cherished cracked wine jug!
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