One of the most agreeable, and less strenuous ways of spending a summer afternoon in Crete is in visiting one of the island’s numerous wineries. With the growth of wine tourism in recent years many of them provide facilities for visitors, including tours of the premises and tastings of the wines produced. For a small fee, visitors can taste half a dozen wines, accompanied by snacks, and receive a short presentation from an oenologist or a staff member with a good knowledge of the winery’s products. The wines can be bought on the spot, and many are also obtainable from local supermarkets.
The Kolymbari/Platanias area has a number of wineries which we can recommend from personal experience, including Karavitakis at Pontikiana south of Kolymbari, Manousakis at Vatolakkos, and Anoskeli near Voukolies. The Pnevmatikakis winery at Drapanias near Kissamos is also reportedly worth a visit. The wineries are mainly open for tours during the summer, but also by appointment in the winter, and it is always advisable to book in advance, since tastings need to be organised in advance in accordance with the expected number of visitors.
Contact details
| Manousakis Winery Vatolakkos 73005 Tel: +30 28210 78787 Email: info@manousakiswinery.com Website: www.manousakiswinery.com The winery is also associated with the Salis and Maïami restaurants in Chania | Karavitakis Wines Pontikiana Kolymbari 73100 Tel: +30 28240 23381/ 697 432 3852 Email: info@karavitakiswines.com Website: www.karavitakiswines.com |
| Anoskeli Olive Mill and Winery Anoskeli 73002 Tel.:+30 28240 83127/ 28240 31709 Email: info@anoskeli.gr Website: www.anoskeli.gr (There is also an e-shop on the website) | Pnevmatikakis Winery Drapanias 73400 Tel: +30 28220 31740 Email: info@pnevmatikakiswinery.gr Website: www.pnevmatikakiswinery.gr |
The number of wineries offering tours and tastings is evidence of the drive to increase wine tourism on the island, which is being promoted by both local authorities and the Regional Authority of Crete. One of the organisations devoted to promoting this form of tourism is Wines of Crete. Originally started as a network of Heraklion winemakers in the decade of 2000, it has extended into an island-wide network covering all the four prefectures of Heraklion, Chania, Rethymnon and Lasithi.
The network’s main goals are the promotion and recognition of Cretan wines both inside and outside Crete, and the development of wine tourism on the island, taking advantage of Crete’s numerous tourist assets. Its website www.winesofcrete.gr has a wealth of materials about Cretan wines, including a free e-book, suggested tour routes taking in the island’s main wineries, and a series of videos with wine experts talking about the 11 native grape varieties which are cultivated on the island.
One of its main promotional tools is the “Oinotika” wine fair, now in its 15th year, which is returning after a 3-year gap caused by the pandemic, and will be at the Avra Imperial Hotel in Kolymbari this coming weekend (11th-12th March). It is organised in collaboration with the Cretan Regional Authority and the Regional Unit of Chania.
Visitors to the fair will be able to sample more than 350 wines, including new and old offerings, from 36 Cretan wineries, to talk to wine producers and get information about the collective activities of Wines of Crete. There will also be an organised wine shop, where wines will be sold at a nominal prices with a proportion of the proceeds going to the “Zoodochos Pigi” (Source of Life) Centre for Children with Special Needs in Heraklion.
The fair will be open to both wine-lovers and professionals on Saturday 11th March and Sunday 12th March 2023, from 12:00 to 20:00. On Sunday from 13:00 to 15:00 there will be a Masterclass on New Entries, at which Iro Koliakoudaki, Dip WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), will present the new offerings for 2023 from all the wineries.
Tickets can be booked online at €8.00 per day from https://www.viva.gr/tickets/happenings/festival/oinotikachania23/, or are €10.00 at the door.
The fair in Kolymbari is the second in the Wines of Crete programme for this year. The first was held in Heraklion on 18th-20th February and others are scheduled to be held in Cyprus (2nd April), Rethymnon (23rd June) and Athens (30th October).