Things you should know about wine tasting and wine tours in Chania, Crete

 

 

 

 

 

 

More and more visitors to Chania, Crete discover the joy of wine tasting and wine tours in the area. A hidden gem for many years, the excellent wines of Chania – and Crete in general – already have their loyal fans, in both Greece and abroad.

In this article we are going to discover together the secrets of the wine production in Chania, Crete, and the best wine tasting tours available in the area.

Wine tasting and tours in Chania, Crete – The secret of wine production in the Chania area

Crete, and especially Chania, is a blessed land for agricultural production. The combination of plenty of sunshine all year round with the ample water resources, and the proximity to the sea, create together a very special mix of conditions, which is responsible for the great taste in the Cretan agricultural products. And vineyards and the locally produced wine is no exception.

A visitor who takes place in a wine tasting tour today cannot imagine that, according to the archaeologists, systematic wine production in Crete started about 4.000 (!) years ago, in the times of the Minoan civilization. In fact, the wines of Crete were so known in ancient times, that they were among the first products to be exported to other places, through the blooming marine trade of the era.

However, Crete, and Greece in general, was slow in adapting to the modern era of “gourmet” wine labels, and for many years it lagged behind the most prominent wine producing countries, like France for example. This has changed, however, in the last three decades, when the wineries of Greece took advantage of the great skills of its founders, and managed in surprisingly little time to master the production of magnificent, top quality wines. Especially Crete was in the forefront of this evolution, and now Cretan wines – and especially the Cretan wines from Chania – enjoy a top reputation for quality all over Europe.

The best wine tasting tours in Chania, Crete

There are many small, family wineries all over Chania, and most of them produce excellent wine, albeit in a small scale. So it’s no surprise that few of them offer wine tasting tours.

Especially in the Chania area, two wineries stand out, as they have mastered the art of producing high quality, “gourmet” wines, and at the same time have invested in creating great wine tasting facilities, that more and more visitors to Chania get to enjoy each and every year.

The first winery is that of the Dourakis family. It is located in the area of Apokoronas, where Douliana Villas are located, in the outskirts of Alikampos village. The winery was founded in 1986, and has been awarded many wine tasting awards – both Greek and international. Many wine tours in the area include the cosy wine tasting facilities of the Dourakis winery.

The second winery is that of the Manousakis family. The winery of Manousakis was founded in 1993 and it is located in the outskirts of Alikianos village, to the northeast of the city of Chania. Manousakis winery offers a variety of wine tasting programs and tours, including a vineyard tour.

Although Chania and Crete are primarily famous for their extra virgin olive oil, the wines of the area are equally well known for their top quality. During your visit to Chania, Crete, it is a marvellous idea to explore firsthand the exquisite taste and aroma of the Chania wines by visiting a local winery for a wine tasting tour.