The Wine Lovers' Tour

Anna Maria is a certified sommelier and Vasilis is a winemaker (amongst other things including being a beekeeper etc.). 6 years ago, these partners in love and crime left their jobs, friends and family behind in the United States, and moved back to their ancestral homeland, Greece. It was July of 2013 and Greece was in the depths of an economic crisis. The timing wasn’t ideal, but they could no longer ignore their calling.

The pair have always had a strong connection to Crete and a passion for wine. Therefore it was almost inevitable that this pair would give birth to Chania Wine Tours. And, having experienced one of their wine tours, it is clear that they are exactly where they need to be.

Professional, yet completely down to earth, the dynamic duo make understanding the weird and wonderful world of Cretan wines approachable and thoroughly enjoyable.

If you are a wine lover in Chania who is feeling completely lost, then The Wine Lovers’ Tour is for you. These legends provide you with an in depth understanding of the wines of western Crete. And yes, they meet you at your level. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a novice.

Our day started with Vasili and Anna Maria picking us up from our hotel with mimosas and cheese pies in hand. We then headed west to the village of Pontikiana where we visited Karavitakis Winery, a family-owned and operated winery that produces wines from local and international grape varietals. The winery is stunning with a little church dedicated to the patron saint of vineyards sitting at its highest point.

There we tasted our way through 5 different wines over some cheeses and bread. Anna Maria demonstrated how to properly taste wine to get the most out of each glass. It was particularly interesting to try the Liastos – which is made from sundried Romeiko grapes which are harvested overripe and then left under the hot sun for 12 days. The wine ages in oak barrels for at least 36 months. After that, it is bottled and ready to win you over from the very first sip. It was an enchanting wine that was a brilliant and interesting expression of the Romeiko grape.

Our next stop was to Anoskeli Winery, a family owned establishment that combines the ancient traditions of olive and grape growing with modern knowledge and techniques. Here, we tasted 5 more wines alongside a beautiful cheese and cured meat platter with Anoskeli olive oil. It was the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast the same wine varietals that we had tried earlier at Karavitakis Winery.

We then had a stroll through the nearby vineyards where we learned about the unique history of Cretan viticulture.

Our next stop was to the oldest olive tree in the world where Vasili took us on a little tour of the olive oil museum.

Our final stop was Manousakis Winery which is located in the serene, traditional village of Vatolakkos – The perfect backdrop to try these award-winning wines. We were treated to a decadent four course traditional meal which Anna Maria and Vasilis kindly paired with beautiful wines from the winery including the Nostos Alexandra’s which was a gorgeous red, boasting fruity aromas, spices and smooth tannins and went perfectly with the hearty comfort food we were served.

Throughout the day, we loved getting to know Anna Maria and Vasilis, they were incredibly friendly and were always keen to help with any questions we had. Having experienced a tour first hand, we could not recommend Chania Wine Tours more highly.

Email: info@chaniawinetours.com

Phone: +306980462427 or +306984597935

Link: www.chaniawinetours.com