34 DEPARTURES TRAVEL
34 DEPARTURES TRAVEL PIONEERING SPIRIT Cretan Whirl Vintner, artist and entrepreneur Alexandra Manousakis’s lively empire is a love song to all things Crete. by Rachel Howard ALEXANDRA MANOUSAKIS has hospitality in her genes. Her mother, a belly dancer of Polish- Romanian descent, ran a Greek restaurant in Washington DC. Her Greek-American father, an industrial security expert, dabbled in hospitality before opening an organic winery (manousakiswinery.com) in his ancestral Cretan village. “I grew up in restaurants. But my parents always said: ‘Whatever you do, don’t open a restaurant!’ Then I married Afshin and he told me: ‘My one dream is to open my own restaurant’,” Manousakis laughs, her huge smile framed by chestnut bangs. Manousakis met Afshin Molavi, a Swedish-Iranian sommelier, soon after she took over the fledgling family winery at the tender age of 23. “At first, it was just me and a goat. There was no internet. I barely spoke Greek, and the only thing I knew about wine was that I liked to drink it.” The transition from an all-female real-estate firm in New York to the male-dominated world of winemaking in rural Crete was a culture shock. But the quietly unstoppable Manousakis turned a sabbatical into a phenomenally successful winery, adding a tasting room and taverna shaded by olive groves. “Crete has this magic pull. I kept saying, ‘I’ll just stay one more year’ – and 15 years later, I’m still here.” Alongside beautifully balanced wines (and a smooth take on the bracing Cretan distillate, tsikoudia), Manousakis produces local sea salt, olive oil and ceramics hand-painted in a sunny Mediterranean palette. Bowls, plates and vases feature graphic motifs, patterns and words that Clockwise from above: an idyllic scene at Monousakis Winery; owner Alexandra Manousakis; pieces from her cheerful ceramics line
ALL IMAGES COURTESY ALEXANDRA MANOUSAKIS have shaped her initiation into Cretan culture – playful references to the deep-rooted traditions that clash with her entrepreneurial American spirit. “Even though winemaking is its own art form, my dream was always to be an artist,” says Manousakis. Despite the demands of running the winery and parenting two kids under five, Manousakis finds time for pottery and painting. She created the abstract mural at Salis (salischania. com), Molavi’s farm-to-table restaurant in Chania, the lively capital of western Crete. Across the street from their waterfront home, the couple recently opened Maiami (maiamichania.com) in an abandoned workshop from 1950. Part art studio, brasserie and boutique, the space pops with colourful pizzazz: electric-blue chairs, an emerald-green fireplace, salmon-pink windows framing the sea. The multicultural menu riffs on the family’s favourite dishes – Afshin’s grilled chicken and charred broccoli with Persian rice, spinach and artichoke dip from a beloved DC restaurant, warm chocolate-chip cookies and milk, their children’s ultimate treat. “It’s homely, sentimental food, as opposed to the inventive cooking at Salis,” says Manousakis. Bringing together wine, food, ceramics and art, it’s essentially a distillation of her vibrant, optimistic attitude to life on a Greek island. alexandramanousakis.com Alexandra’s Island Manousakis reveals her favourite spots across Crete. MEMORABLE HIKE Hidden below the Gouverneto monastery on the Akrotiri peninsula is the Avlaki gorge. You climb down a steep trail and end up at the sea. On the way, you’ll see purple lilies with striped stems, a hermit’s cave, and the haunting ruins of Katholiko monastery. BEACH BREAK Loutro is my all-time favourite spot for a beach holiday. It’s a tiny harbour on Crete’s southwest coast. I love that it’s only accessible by boat, so you can really switch off and relax. DINNER DATE The seaside restaurant at Ammos hotel (ammoshotel.com) is our little secret for Greek comfort food, made with the very best local ingredients. I love the vibe at Matzénta (matzentakuzinadelsol.gr), which serves Mexican fusion on a funky backstreet that’s an adventure to find. SHOPPING FIX Just Brazil stocks amazing clothes by Greek designers. Full disclosure: the Brazilian owner Renata is my daughter’s godmother, but I’d buy everything in her store even if I didn’t know her. justbrazilstore.gr SECRET STAY Every time I walk into the garden of Metohi Kindelis, it takes my breath away. It’s the most magical place, a centuries-old organic farm and guesthouse run by my friend Danai Kindeli. I had my wedding-rehearsal dinner there. metohi-kindelis.gr Clockwise from above: the vines at Monousakis Winery at sundown; Monousakis’s tsikoudia, made with the marc of Roussanne grapes; a festive feast 35 DEPARTURES PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST GOVERNMENT ADVICE BEFORE BOOKING TRAVEL OR DEPARTING ON ANY TRIP
