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GREECE<br />
DISCOVERY<br />
the most traditional in Europe, are located on the<br />
northern side of the island. Obviously this is no<br />
coincidence. The island may be famous for its mild,<br />
healthy climate, but the five-month summer, which<br />
makes it so popular with tourists, is not necessarily<br />
conducive to growing vines. Summer droughts<br />
can be challenging, so vine growers have chosen the<br />
deep, fertile soils in the valleys and on the slopes<br />
cooled by the Aegean’s North winds. They establish<br />
vineyards behind the mountainous backbone of<br />
Mount Psiloritis to protect them from the hot liva<br />
from the East. This is why most of the vineyards<br />
are located in the North-Central part of the island,<br />
around Heraklion, in Archanes, Peza and Dafnes,<br />
as well as in Sitia, in the eastern areas.<br />
Over the last 20 years, the wine landscape on Crete<br />
has been characterised by a steady shift towards<br />
quality. Alongside the co-operatives, private producers,<br />
both small and large, with privately owned<br />
vineyards, the necessary know-how and willingness<br />
to conduct research and experimentation, are also<br />
active. There has been tremendous change in the<br />
varietal composition of the vineyards, which are<br />
mainly dedicated to local varieties, some of which,<br />
such as Vidiano, Plyto and Dafni, have been saved<br />
from extinction and surprise us with the vitality<br />
and quality of their wines. Legislators have been<br />
generous when it comes to quality statements on<br />
the island, granting 7 P.D.O.s and 6 P.G.I.s.<br />
The Miliarakis family settled in Peza in the mid-19th<br />
century and has therefore experienced the entire<br />
historical development of the location, first converting<br />
their inn into a winery and then moving from<br />
barrel to bulk and then to bottled wine. Minos<br />
Wines has been operating as a winery since 1932.<br />
With one of the oldest wineries in the area, it<br />
carried out the first bottling of wine on the island<br />
in 1952. Of course, from the first ‘Hani’ held by<br />
Antonis Miliarakis to the present-day remodelled<br />
winery, there have been many milestones. Today,<br />
Nikos Miliarakis continues this tradition by producing<br />
a relatively wide range of both indigenous and<br />
international varieties. Sifis Miliarakis hall shows<br />
an audio-visual history of the company before visitors<br />
are invited to enjoy a wine tasting at Metochi<br />
Miliarakis, among the vineyards.<br />
THE VINEYARDS OF CRETE, CONSIDERED AS SOME OF THE MOST TRADITIONAL IN<br />
EUROPE, ARE LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND<br />
THE MINOS WINE MUSEUM<br />
WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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