HISTORY OF CRETAN WINE

The cultivation of grapes has taken place in Crete since the times of the Minoan era, four thousand years ago. The history of viticulture, however, can be traced even further back, in very ancient times.

The soil, the climate, the grape variety and the traditional production method are the four main determinants of the quality of Cretan wine. The harmonious Mediterranean climate of Crete, characterized by light winds and sunny summers, is positively influenced by the mountains and the sea which guarantee the vineyards a microclimate with unique properties.

There are eleven indigenous Cretan vines, four red and seven white: mantilari, kotsifali, liatiko and romeiko for the reds, vilana, vidiano, dafni, plyto, thrapsathiri, malvasia di Candia and moscato di Spina for the whites. To these are added the classic international grapes often used in blends with the natives although nowadays the tendency of producers is to promote their own vines, so as to enhance that uniqueness that can distinguish them in the mare magnum of world wine production.

Crete hosts one of the largest vineyards in the whole of Greece, in terms of both size and production. In fact, twenty percent of Greece’s wine production comes from Crete and revolves around 950,000 hectoliters of wine.

We at Blue Kipos 67 have chosen to enhance and promote in our Cretan wine list the wine producers of our area and our friends, such as :

Caterina & Nikos Douloufakis of DOULOFAKIS WINERY

Popi & Vasillis Laderos of IDAIA WINERY

Irini & Caroulla Daskalakis of  SILVA WINERY

Fereniki Douloufakis of  DAF WINE WINERY

Maria & Antonis Kosmadakis of  EFROSINI WINERY