Food and wine in Crete

Cretan Wine

Since joining the EC in 1981 the Greek wine trade has improved enormously and a new system of 'appellations' has been introduced and this has led to what the wine writer Hugh Johnson has described as 'an explosion of stylish authentically Greek wines'

However some of the locally produced wine sold in mini-markets and tavernas as 'local wine' are still fairly primitive. But what's wrong with locally produced primitive wine, some may say?

Much of the best Greek wine is available at wine merchants and supermarkets. For Cretan wine Hugh Johnson particularly recommends wine made by Alexakis, Ekonomou and Lyarakis.

 Boutari J and Son are producers and merchants whose reasonably priced wines are widely available and always a safe bet.  

Olive Oil

In year 2000 it has been estimated that more than 35 million olive trees were under cultivation in Crete. The method used for Olive oil production is little changed from the Roman age 2,200 years. Olives for oil are gathered when ripe which means in the late autumn. The fruit must be gathered undamamged by the picking process so raditional harvesting methods of hand-picking and beating are still widely used on Crete. The fruit is then carefully crushed on fibre mats to ensure the stones are not broken. The fluid extracted when settled separated into a watery liquid and oil.