is it Cretan wine's time to shine?

Thanks to consistent quality and stronger storytelling, Crete’s profile is steadily rising, leading importer Maltby & Greek tells Sarah Neish. Here’s why you should seek out the island’s wines.

Speaking to the drinks business, Alexandra Badoi, head of wine at Maltby & Greek, a leading UK importer of Greek wines, explained that the quality of Cretan wines has improved dramatically in recent years, so much so that Crete is now “one of Greece’s most dynamic and exciting wine regions”.

“As importers, we’ve seen this transformation first-hand,” Badoi said. ” A new generation of winemakers, many trained abroad, has revitalised the island’s wine scene.”

These winemakers are championing indigenous varieties such as Vidiano, Dafni, Muscat of Spina, Romeiko, and Liatiko, while using modern viticulture and cleaner, more precise winemaking techniques. “These tend to result in lower yields, better vineyard management, and controlled fermentations, which produce wines with greater balance, freshness, and expression of terroir,” said Badoi.

Virgin grape treaders

Things have moved on a bit since the days when Cretans believed that if the first person to tread grapes during harvest was a female virgin, it would turn out to be a good vintage. However, islanders are naturally proud of their winemaking history, with the first winemaking press in Crete uncovered near the city of Heraklion dating back 4,000 years.

Italy, too, is entwined with Crete’s winemaking history, thanks to various periods of occupation and visitations by the Italians. For several hundred years the island was occupied by the Venetians (1205-1669), and in 2017, archaeologists working in the Roman city of Pompeii uncovered a stash of beautifully preserved Cretan wine amphorae that had lain undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. They were able to ascertain from the size and shape of the vessels, and the Greek inscriptions found on them, that the amphorae once contained sweet Cretan wine, which was highly prized by the Romans.

But it was a slightly different occupation that catapulted Crete’s wine offering to another level. Winemakers on Crete will often tell you that they record the passing of time in terms of “before tourism” and “after tourism”. Before tourism, about 98% of Cretan wine was made from the white Vilana grape, the first known variety planted on the island. When tourists began to arrive in the early 1960s, a few visionary producers began planting other varieties including Vidiano and Dafni (for whites) and Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilari (for reds).

Key role to play

Even after all these years, tourism still has a key role to play in the future of Cretan wines.

“Awareness of Cretan wines specifically is still limited compared with Greek wines in general, but it’s growing,” said Badoi. “Mainstream recognition remains low, but with consistent quality and stronger storytelling, Crete’s profile is steadily rising.”

One operator helping to spread the word about the island’s wine is Mirabello Bay Luxury Resort & Spa, located in the town of Agios Nikolas, just east of Crete’s winemaking centre, Heraklion. The resort’s food and beverage director Sofia Stamataki insists on a Crete-dominant wine list in order to highlight the island’s treasures to visiting tourists.

“I made a conscious decision to choose wine from almost all of the producers we have locally,” Stamataki told db. “I want to share and give to our guests the opportunity to taste the most varieties from the most producers on the island.”

While a few non-Crete wines make an appearance on Mirabello’s list – “Santorini is next to us, very close, so we buy some wines from them, and from Boutaris in central Greece” – there is no doubt who the regional star of the show is.

Cretan wine list

According to Maltby & Greek’s Badoi, each sip of Cretan wine “carries the wild herbs, sun-baked soils, and centuries of tradition unique to the island, offering a flavour profile you simply won’t find anywhere else.”

For those seeking authentic, terroir-driven wines with real personality, he believes “Crete offers a hidden gem worth discovering. Look out for past vintages of Grand Reserve Liatiko (similar to an aged Barolo) or a barrel aged Vidiano (similar to a good full-bodied Burgundy, with a creamy, rich mouthfeel).”

These characteristics are certainly on show in one of the best-sellers that Stamataki chose for Mirabello Bay to accompany local seafood or grilled fish. Aspros Lagos (white hare) is a 100% Vidiano made by Douloufakis Winery, a small, family-run producer in Finikia, near Heraklion, which has been making wine since 1930 with a focus on sustainable farming and natural wines. The wine is aged in new and second fill barriques, adding complexity and texture. There are aromas of white flowers, apricot and melon and intense flavours of stone fruit, white peach and white currants with distinctive minerality.

Another favourite white among international guests staying at the luxury resort is Psarades, a single-vineyard wine made from the Dafní grape by Lyrarakis Winery. Lyrarakis claims to have saved this Cretan variety from extinction when it planted the grape in the Psarades vineyard at 480m altitude in the early ’90s. (the name Dafní is derived from the laurel (bay leaf) plant due to its aromatic resemblance). As such, Psarades has a distinctive herbal character, refreshing mouthfeel and intense aftertaste bursting with citrus fruit.

Affordable gems

Prices too are reasonable. At approximately €37 per bottle in the restaurants of Mirabello Bay, these are affordable wines for a five-star resort. And even at export the price of Cretan wine manages to stay attractive with Maltby & Greek tending to position wines from Crete “in the £15–£20+ range,” said Badoi. He added that prices “reflect the wines’ premium, terroir-driven character. These are high-quality, indigenous expressions rather than entry-level bottles.”

Stamataki recommends seeking out Crete’s lesser-known ‘monastery wines’ if you get the chance. “The best wine for me comes from the monasteries,” she said. “There is one in Sitia at the eastern end of Crete but they don’t make the volumes for us to list them here, sadly.”

Tourists taking home a love for Cretan wine and sharing it with their friends and family at home is the ultimate goal for Stamataki.

“A holiday means memories so it’s very important to me. The smell, the taste, the look of the wines, these are all part of our memories that we never forget.”