The Private Vine-Harvest Day Trip in Chania
Tour Highlights
- Vine-harvest in our family vineyard
- Take part in wine-making process
- Hear stories and origins behind the wine-making tradition
- Make wine in a traditional family cottage-house
- Explore the theme rooms of the house and Crete through the ages
- Wine tasting combined with cheese platters of different Cretan varieties
- Taste freshly made dinner along with good Cretan wine
- Enjoy the fantastic view of Aegean Sea and the mountain around
Description
The wine-making tradition in Crete has very deep roots! From the ancient Minoans till the modern times vine-harvest is a big 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 local varieties of grapes like “Romeiko”, “Vidiano”, “Vilana”, “Kotsifali” and “Mantilari”. It is a unique procedure and a great 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 in the beginning of 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 new produced wine, so the procedure begins. The treadle is ready and all together is stepping on the grapes with our feet. The first juice of the grapes appears and we continue smashing them. After a long smashing procedure the grapes have to stay with the juice. All they want is a rose or mid red color.
Now the feast begins! You will have a traditional Cretan dinner enjoying the local delicacies with a lot of wine! It was a hard working day but the dinner will make up for it!