相片

Would you like to drink a Retsina ?

Retsina - Wine of the Greek Gods

Some people say that Retsina, the resinated wine produced in Greece since ancient times, is an acquired taste. I'll agree - I acquired it immediately. Not everyone agrees - the Epicurious Dictionary describes the flavor as "sappy and turpentinelike". Nor is Rick Steves a fan. But cooking expert Sheila Lukins breaks ranks and calls it the "quintessential Mediterranean wine", applauding it as an accompaniment for all types of Mediterranean cuisine. Like most Greek beverages, such as ouzo, it is undeniably at its best when combined with Greek foods, especially the savory mezedes served as appetizers. Try retsina in its native environment and you may well respond to it like a true Greek yourself.

Retsina was born of the need to preserve and ship wines in pine-pitch sealed vessels. Ancient wines varied substantially in quality and tended to spoil. In efforts to avoid this, wines were often adulterated with exotic ingredients, from herbs to sea water. Due to the pine oils, Retsina was thought of as wood nymph tears, though how it was collected from those shy nymphs is not recorded.

From/
http://gogreece.about.com/library/weekly/aa011399.htm