Crete wine has not always lived up to its 4,000 year old heritage and there has been in the past a reluctance by the wine community in general to even consider the varieties found on this beautiful Greek island. But times have changed, and so have the wines.
For a few years now the wines of Crete have held their own against the more well known wine regions of the World and have even surpassed them according to many panels of experts. It is time to take note of what this jewel of the Mediterranean has to offer and the taste for yourself the vilana, kotsifali, vidiano, malvasia di Candia, romeiko and the other indigenous grape varieties of Crete.
Wines of Crete specialises in showcasing the different wineries and labels on offer and hold wine-fairs all over Greece to spread the word about the excellent wines that are being produced. Each year they bring together the main producers of wines in Crete for the general public and wine professionals to gather, taste and discuss their wines. They are held throughout the year in the different cities and regions of Crete to ensure they spread the word to not just the local Cretans, but also to an international crowd as well.
The Chania, Wines of Crete Festival has been held in the past in the ancient boat building arseneli venue in Chania on the old harbour front. In 2018 they changed venue and the wonderful Minoan Palace resort was the host to this vibrant occasion.
At the entrance you are given an etched Wines of Crete wine glass and a tasting notebook which describes the different varieties of grape to expect and a list of the wineries on show. It is then up to you to wander around at your leisure to enjoy the wines, tsikoudia, ouzo and liqueurs on offer. With 29 different wineries and over 450 labels to choose from it is wise to take your time and perhaps spread your tasting over the two days of the wine fair.
Our first port of call was with Karavitakis Wines. This small winery based in Pontikiana near Tavronitis is a personal favourite and it was great to see the experienced and knowledgeable Antonis there to greet us. I was tempted by their Elia Sangiovese and was not disappointed with its deep red colour and tastes of dark berries and a hint of orange that is superb. The sangiovese root stock has adapted perfectly to the soils of Crete, especially in the Chania and Heraklion regions which bring out the acidity and freshness that blends with such a mouthful of flavour.
With so many wines to look for we bid our farwell to the busy Antonis and had a little stroll around the entrance hall of the Minoan Palace where the wine festival was being held. Even though it was busy there was plenty of room for everyone without glasses being nudged and wine being spilled. There was an occasional tinkle of a glass being dropped and shattering on the marble floors, but that is to be expected, and the clean up crews were swiftly in operation to clear up any glass and spillage.
Our next stop was at the stall for the Toplou Monastery which is based near Sitia in Eastern Crete. What caught my eye here was the ornate bottle of tsikoudia. With a glowing golden liquid inside it looked like no other tsikoudia I had seen before...and its taste was exquisite. It is aged for two years in oak barrels which imparts a smoothness and richness to the tsikoudia. At €35 a bottle it is definitely not in the same league as the tsikoudia I normally buy, but I will be seeking out a bottle for special occasions.
Next up was the Manousakis Winery which produce Nostos wines. Based in Vatolakkos near Alikianos they have a wonderful winery which holds events throughout the year to celebrate Cretan and Greek culture. They also hold dear to their hearts the ELEPAP charity for disabled children which is a very worthy cause. I enjoy all their wines but after the tsikoudia from Toplou Monastery I thought I needed something strong and full flavoured. The Nostos Syrah was recommended and certainly delivered on its promise. The rich, full bodied flavour of blackberries, coffee and a sweet toffee lasted for an age in the mouth and would be excellent paired with a strong tasting game dish. With this heady aftertaste still swirling around I thought it best to walk around and just take in the atmosphere for a moment.
The organisers of the wine-fair had certainly done a magnificent job of bringing everything together and the venue was perfect. Finger-food was also provided by the Minoan Palace that complemented the wines perfectly and showcased the skills of their culinary team. What was a pleasant surprise was the rose wine bar. This was a semi-circle of chilled rose wines from all of the different wineries where you could taste test against its neighbour. Dourakis Winery, based in Alikambos on the road to Chora Sfakion had two rose wines on offer, each had its merits but the Dourakis Koudos Rose won the battle of the wines in my opinion. It was pleasantly sweet without being overpoweringly so which can be an issue I find with rose wine.
The Zoumperakis Family Winery then tempted me with their Liatiko-Kotsifali blend of Rethymno red wine. This 13% wine is a mellow little number that bursts with summer fruits and pepper to give a sweet, dry finish. The Zoumperakis Family produce a variety of wines, tsikoudia, oils and vinegars in their 100% organic vineyards in Kali Sikia, Rethymno.
With the kotsifali now firmly implanted in my mind the Stilianou Winery from Kounavi near Knossos, Heraklion were able to give me two wines from that grape variety to try. Producing just 20,000 bottles a year, Winery Stialianou manages to utilise organically the indigenous and protected grape varieties of vidiano, vilana, thrapsathiri, kotsifali and mantilari to the fullest effect. Their Kotsifali Sweet Red Wine uses sun dried grapes to extract the maximum amount of sugar to produce a wine that was too sweet for my taste but other members of the group found it to be the best wine of the festival. I found the Theon GI Red, which is a blend of kotsifali and mantilari much more pleasing to my palate with a dryness that absorbed the sweetness to give a much more rounded wine. I just love how different wines can have different effects on different people. As Antonis at Karavitakis Wines states, 'It is great that people have different favourites because it shows we are doing something right. If everybody liked the same wine best we would have to wonder what s wrong with the others!'
On that note I will leave this article here, to continue on praising the great wines from Anoskeli, Douroufakis, Agia Triada Monastery, Digenakis or the sparkling delight from Zazazu would require a book to fully explain. I just hope I have whetted your appetite and hope that if you get the opportunity you will enjoy the Wines of Crete wine-festival as much as I and my group of friends managed to do.
Wines of Crete Wine-Festival took place on the 24-25 February 2018 at the Minoan Palace Hotel in Platanias.
Visit the excellent Wines of Crete website for more information on upcoming events, the wineries and everything concerned with Cretan wines. Thank you to Paul Carter for the photos.