The Private Vine-Harvest Day Trip in Chania

Tour Highlights

• Take part in the wine-making process.
• Traditional vine-harvest in our family vineyard
• Make wine in a traditional family cottage-house
• Taste freshly made dinner along with good Cretan wine.
• Hear stories and origins behind the wine-making tradition
• Explore the theme rooms of the house and Crete through the ages
• Enjoy the fantastic view of the Aegean Sea and the mountain around.
• Wine tasting combined with cheese platters of different Cretan varieties.

Description

The wine-making tradition in Crete has profound roots! From the ancient Minoans to modern times, vine-harvest is a significant and unique celebration. This tour is designed and written from the hosts’ childhood memories. You will take part in the wine-making process in the traditional old-fashioned way! The miracle of wine-making with its secrets will be revealed in front of your eyes!

Starting from the family vineyard, you will harvest the indigenous varieties of grapes like “Romeiko”, “Vidiano”, “Vilana”, “Kotsifali” and “Mantilari”. It is a unique procedure and a grand celebration because locals are singing and dancing traditional Cretan songs. These voices and songs are echoing. The White Mountains are hearing. It is so hard to describe these feelings. You will only understand if you experience it!

Afterwards, you will visit the family cottage-house. It is a traditional Cretan house, built at the beginning of the 19th century and fully restored. It will make you feel the Cretan hospitality and share with you many things about the Cretan traditions. Secret rooms will present you, Crete, through the centuries. The old cellar is waiting for newly produced wine, so the procedure begins. The treadle is ready and altogether is stepping on the grapes with our feet. The first juice of the grapes appears, and we continue smashing them. After a lengthy smashing procedure, the grapes have to stay with the juice. All they want is a rose or mid red colour.

Now the feast begins! You will have a traditional Cretan dinner enjoying the local delicacies with much wine! It was a hard-working day, but the dinner will make up for it!

If you wish to explore more options return to the Wine & Food Tours page.