The metamorphosis of Savatiano continues (Part 1)

By Olga Antoniadou

I have been impartial to Savatiano for many years and have always felt that the variety had a structure that could make excellent food wines, as its rather medium aromatic intensity complements, rather than covers up, what is on the plate. In years gone by, it was the main wine to be found in the tavernas of Athens. Actually, the owners of these tavernas were the winemakers, in many cases. They bought must from different producers around Attica and fermented it in their large old oak barrels that usually lined the dining area. The must was generally sold to others to make wine. Few producers took the winemaking process all the way themselves, and even if they did, there was not much room for experimentation (lack of resources, lack of wine education, etc.). For the most part, there were just two styles. Retsina (with resin) and Aretsinoto (without resin). Whether it was palatable or not very much depended on which part of Attica the must was sourced from, who the viticulturist was, who made the wine, and what sold easier.