Thodoris Papanestoros, The Marketer
A time capsule back to the beautiful past, but also a revival of the present, thanks to the "reinvention" of retsina: the beloved wine is certainly food for thought for the executive director of Institutional Marketing & PK-12 Enrollment of Anatolia College.
"POUR RETSINA, SO WE CAN TALK...".
For many people, retsina is not a daily habit, but it is a peculiar "time capsule" - as, for example, for the executive director of Institutional Marketing & PK-12 Enrollment of Anatolia College, ThodorisPapanestoros: "To be honest, retsina is not completely connected to my daily life..." confesses Mr. Papanestoros. "However, it is intertwined in my mind with moments of joy and carefreeness, mainly from my younger years. From my father's ‘Pour retsina, so we can talk...' to an Easter feast in Halkidiki or a carefree Sunday with a barbecue in the garden".
It's true that many people have mixed feelings about this particular wine... "What's the reason?" we ask the executive of Anatolia College: "The truth is that retsina does not have the best reputation, even though, more, or less, all of us have 'turned a blind eye' to it in beautiful moments of our lives. This, in my opinion, happens not so much because of its particular taste, but mainly because, basically, it is based on two 'humble' and to a certain extent misunderstood varieties, such as Roditis and Savvatiano. Let's also not forget that the addition of resin to wine was done thousands of years ago not for taste reasons, but for preservation reasons, as the coating of the mouth, as well as the inside of the amphorae with resin from the pines that were near the vineyards, significantly slowed down oxidation. On the other hand, in recent years we have also seen retsinas based on much more 'noble' varieties, such as Assyrtiko. This, without a doubt, also changes the taste of this wine, making the whole tasting experience much more interesting".

THE BURDEN IN THESSALONIKI
In the course of the last decades, retsina became identified with Thessaloniki, which evolved into a center not only for the production of quality retsina, but also for its consumption. We ask Mr. Papanestoros if, in his mind, there is an area, a hangout, a population of the city that is preeminently associated with it.
"It is strange and, at the same time, pleasant how our city managed to take the scepter from Boeotia, Evia and, above all, Attica. Because – truth be told–retsina is of southern origin. But, as much as the Athenians are behind the... patent, we can be proud of having made it well-known to the ends of the earth. As for the area I would pair it with? I would combine it, paradoxically, mainly with coastal areas, such as Michaniona (someone might have expected that I would mention ouzo here), as well as with 'hidden' taverns in the various arcades of the center of Thessaloniki, but also in the Upper Town".
With these and with those, to what extent can retsina and wine, in general, accompany us in the happy, but also in the less happy moments of our lives? "The ‘80s ad that said 'Every day is a celebration' sums it all up" Mr. Papanestoros answers with a smile. "Retsina is the wine that will relax us, make us feast, make us remember our carefree years. To feel young again. Retsina will take you back in time. It will give you all the flavor of your youth in one sip. I doubt if a 1997 Grand Cru can do that... Retsina, however, can immediately take me back to that year when we celebrated with my 'series' our discharge from the army".
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