Wine routes
The history of wine production in Crete goes back centuries, with traces of it evident in Minoan amphorae, elaborate vases and prehistoric wine presses.
During the Roman period, the Cretan wines were in great demand, while during the Venetian period, new varieties appeared and wine production continued to flourish.
During the Turkish occupation, wine production and consumption was discouraged by the new conquerors, but was never abandoned.
Today, the Cretan vineyards and the island’s wineries are experiencing a new boom, offering wines of excellent quality, with local PDO varieties and numerous international varieties which thrive on the island, highly regarded and distinguished in international competitions.
Many of the wineries are open to the public and offer visitors wine tastings and guided tours of their facilities and vineyards. The main varieties of the Cretan vineyard that are used in wine production are: Vilana, Vidiano, Dafni, Thrapsathiri, Kotsifali, Liatiko, Malvasia, Mantilari, Muscat of Spina, Plyto and Romeiko. Through the Network of Wineries of Crete (www.winesofcrete.gr) you can discover suggested wine routes connecting the wineries of Crete by region.