{"id":781,"date":"2022-03-01T01:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T22:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cityofretsina.com\/?p=781"},"modified":"2023-09-12T10:52:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T07:52:49","slug":"%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%bb%ce%b9%cf%84%ce%b9%cf%83%ce%bc%cf%8c%cf%82","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cityofretsina.com\/en\/%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%bb%ce%b9%cf%84%ce%b9%cf%83%ce%bc%cf%8c%cf%82\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe journey of retsina from Attica to Thessaloniki<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

In Thessaloniki, retsina became particularly popular, during the interwar period and after, mainly because of its low price - without meaning that it was not consumed in previous years by the residents of the city. As early as the 1910s there are reports in the local press about the quantities of retsina available for sale to the taverns and wine shops of the area.<\/p>\n

This specific type of wine came to Northern Greece from Attica, and mainly from Mesogeia, which at that time was the center of retsina production in our country. The wine barrels arrived at the port of Thessaloniki, where it was the first point of sale, directly from the holds of the ships. Afterwards, they ended up in the town's wine cellars, where they were stored until the wine was consumed. However, there were also tavern owners, who produced their own retsina in barrels that they kept for this purpose in the basements of their shops.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOn saint Dimitrios day, what are you and what am I, says the new wine to the old one<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cOn saint Dimitrios day, what are you and what am I, says the new wine to the old one\u201d,\nstates the popular Greek proverb. In Thessaloniki, retsina barrels were always opened on\nsaint Dimitrios day, October 26, when all its lovers rushed to be the first to taste the so-\ncalled \u201cyomatari\u201d, i.e., the fresh wine. A day of celebration for the city was also the occasion\nfor the celebration of the new retsina harvest.<\/p>

In September, city streets where there were taverns became impassable. They were\noverwhelmed by endless rows of barrels; the barrels being prepared to receive the new\nretsina. The tavern owners inspected them, giving instructions to the little ones about\nwashing them, the grocers collected the remains of the resin, the mud, while the craftsmen and their \u201ckopelia\u201d - the coopers, that is, and their assistants \u2013 worked tirelessly, repairing by tightening a hoop or caulking the staves to tighten up. The kids gathered around the barrels being repaired. They would try to steal a piece of resin to make their burning firecrackers in the cauldrons or in the basins of their mothers and to light fires in the streets which they would then jump over while playing and dancing around.<\/p>

On saint Dimitrios day, drinkers sauntered into taverns eager to taste, judge, and rate. The\nfriends of retsina reviewed the weather conditions of the entire past year, kept accounts of how much sulfuring and spraying was done, whether there was a lot of rain. The quality of retsina depends on them, and they are mainly interested in it.<\/p>

For good retsina, as the old saying goes, weather conditions will play their part. A frost and a good northern wind are necessary for retsina to acquire clarity.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYomatari, sosma and the \"skonaki\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

On saint Dimitrios day, was the day, according to tradition, when the barrels with new\nretsina were opened. According to the same tradition, in fact, retsina was consumed from\nthat day until the next spring, since, as they said, at that time, the wine became vinegar and\ntherefore it was impossible to drink it.<\/p>

Before the \u201cyomatari\u201d, i.e., fresh retsina, touched their lips, the experienced friends of\nretsina guessed its quality. Many times, some people poured wine from the tap of the barrel\nthat they thought had the best yomatari. Others left the store in anger because the tavern\nowner was filling their glasses with the \u201cferto\u201d. It was retsina from the demijohns and not\nfrom the barrel. Wherever there was good retsina the word was spread, and the tavern\ntogether with its owner gained fame among the many friends of retsina.<\/p>

When barrels were empty and until the opening of the new ones, the friends of retsina were\nhaving a hard time due to the lack of retsina. They watched every movement of the tavern\nowner in case he had the \u201csosma\u201d (the wine at the bottom of the barrel) hidden somewhere\nand he didn\u2019t give it to them. When they couldn\u2019t find any, they scoured the neighborhoods\nin case they got lucky and found the \u201cmagufiko\u201d in some tavern. The sosma was much\npreferable to the \u201ckokkineli\u201d, as they did not like it and drank it out of necessity.<\/p>

However, some tavern owners served straw wine instead of retsina. Experienced drinkers,\nhowever, went with the \u201cskonaki\u201d (a special powder) in their pockets and thus could not be\nlaughed at. Specifically, they poured the skonaki into the glass of wine, stirred it and it foamed. If the contents turned black like ink, then they knew the wine was from raisins and\nreturned it to the owner. The mysterious skonaki was a couple of pinches of soda. The soda blackened straw wine, while it reddened retsina.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRetsina, the much sung one<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

In the years between the wars, the song of retsina was inspired, mainly from the Athenian operetta. With these \"cantadoric\" songs, the fun in the taverns was at its peak, alongside musicians, who set the tone and led the \"potpourri\".<\/p>\n

Among the regulars of the taverns and koutoukia were also well-known rebetes and songwriters, who were inspired by the popular wine and wrote many of their later hits. One of the oldest, with the characteristic title \"My Retsina, My Retsina\" to music and lyrics by Nikos Hatziaapostolou, was written in 1921 and performed by Nikos Moraitis and Pheidon Tambouras in the revue \"Apachides of Athens\". In the chorus it is mentioned: \"My Retsina, my Retsina I will die with you \/ I will not put all the good things of the world before you\".<\/p>\n

Another song, entitled \"Drink sweet wine is no shame\", with music by Mimis Katrivanos and lyrics by Kostas Nikolaidis, was sung in 1933 by Nikos Perdikis in the revue \"Paparuna\" with the troupe of Mavrea and Giuseppe Silva at the Peroke theater. It says: \"As I enter the tavern \/ treat, treat I say to the tavern keeper \/ amber retsina\".<\/p>\n

In 1934, with music by G. Konstantinidis and lyrics by Costas Bezou, the song \"My pure retsina\" was written, performed by Petros Epitropakis. Among other things, he states: \"My pure retsina \/ my amber, blonde love \/ you kill all woes \/ and always extinguish all care. \/ That's why I won't give up \/ the resinous color \/ and I want to be buried \/ for honor with a cannula in my mouth\".<\/p>\n

Many decades later, reference to retsina and Thessaloniki is made in the song \"At Floka\u2019s\" by Dimitris Karaisas, with lyrics by Christos Zafeiris, from the album \"From Vardari to Depo\". Among other things, he mentions: \"Where you play skateboards \/ it was Argentina \/ and where you taste popcorn \/ it was Salamina. \/ In the Alcazar I saw Nargis \/ in the zephyr Al Capone, \/ I drunk retsina at Delis \/ at Floka\u2019s for honor\". \"Delis\" was a well-known tavern in the Evzonon area in Thessaloniki.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRetsina and rebetes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

In the period from 1934 to 1940, many rebetes came from Piraeus to Thessaloniki, such as Giorgos Abatis, Markos Vamvakaris, Michalis Jenitsaris, Anestis Delias, Stelios Kiromytis and Yiannis Papaioannou, because of the political regime of Metaxas. In Thessaloniki they presented their compositions in Adamakou (Asvestochori), Agop (Eptalofos), Makridis (Charilaou) and Paramagoulas (Toumba). All well-known canteens of the time, not only because of their well-known patrons, but also because of the retsina they served.<\/p>\n

Retsina and rebetiko quickly became linked in the world's consciousness, and the enjoyment of one was a prerequisite for the other. Often, in the koutoukia, a lone man, slightly drunk on retsina, would get up and dance the zeibeki\u03ba\u03bf to the sounds of the bouzouki or baglama.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, in 1932, Giorgos Dalamagas, a well-known tavern owner of the time, opened his first tavern in Thessaloniki, in which he had seventy \"bombes\" of retsina. This is the well-known \"Fountain\". Later, in 1935, he opened \"Koutsoura\", in Nikiforou Foka. Vassilis Tsitsanis also sang there. The well-known rebetis refers to this tavern keeper in one of his songs: \"Let's go to the Acropolis, to Varna \/ and from there to Dalamaga's \"Koutsoura\" \/ Marigo will drive you crazy \/ to listen to Tsitsanis \/ playing fine baglama\".<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRetsina, inspiration of writers<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Soon enough, the popular followers of the retsina were invaded by representatives of the bourgeois spirit so that the retsina found reference in poetry, literature and odes. Varnalis, Fotis Iofilis, Spyros Melas, Timos Moraitinis, Christos Levantas, Paul Nor, Traiforos were some of Retsina's most loyal friends.<\/p>\n

The rite of retsina enjoyment and its connection with the city was also captured through their works. Kostis Moskov in his poem \"I was born in the age of bronze\", refers, among other things, to retsina. He himself was a well-known regular of the city's taverns and a lover of retsina. One could often meet him, among company, high up in the castles of Thessaloniki in \"Domna\" and talking among the mezedes and retsina in the center of the city in \"Loutro\" or \"Modiano\".<\/p>\n

In his book \"Uzeri Tsitsanis\", Giorgos Skabardonis refers to Nikolaos Moushoundis - a real person -, a Gendarmerie officer who served mainly in Thessaloniki. The author conveys to us the officer's love for retsina.<\/p>\n

In his article entitled \"Chitsani, comeback!\" the same author describes scenes from the Ouzeri \"Tsitsanis\" that the composer kept at 22 Pavlou Mela street, in Thessaloniki. Retsina was one of the drinks served to many regulars in the shop.<\/p>\n

Retsina appears again in the stories of Giorgos Skabardonis, and specifically in the short story \"Hanging wildcard\" which is included in the book \"The Earned\". There, the owner of the patzatzidiko \"I most Greek Cyprus\", in Egnatia in 1962, drinks retsina together with a friend, early in the morning, in the shop. In the same book, in the short story \"KTEL Evrou\" he describes scenes of retsina consumption by a group of friends.<\/p>\n

Retsina was also the favorite wine of the heroes of Isidoros Zourgos in the book \"In the shadow of the butterfly\". The plot takes us, among other things, to Thessaloniki, whose buildings, streets, haunts, corners, countryside, and surroundings are described in the pages of the book through the history of an entire century.<\/p>\n

Achilleas Goutas also mentions two friends who were enjoying their retsina in Modiano. In the short story \"My friend... Pavlos\", the author describes his meetings with Pavlos and other \"antique lovers\" for retsina in the well-known market, in 1945.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The book \"The Bat\" by Stratis Tsirkas takes us to Thessaloniki in 1954. One of the scenes in the book takes place in the Creonidis tavern \"The balcony\", a well-known restaurant in the city. The retsina of the said tavern was well known among the wine lovers of the time and makes its appearance in this scene of the book.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Retsina acts as a comforting companion too. Ioannis Progakis refers to two friends who drink retsina in the poem \"Lost Life\" from the \"Poems in Quarantine\" collection.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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