The 10 Best Wine Tours & Tastings in Chania Prefecture, Crete

We are wine people doing tours, not tour people doing wine. A full day (8 hour) tour of Western Crete. Learn all about the history and future of the Cretan wine industry with a Certified Sommelier or local grape grower as your guide. This tour includes visits to Biolea Olive Oil Mill, the oldest olive tree in the world, a vineyard, Anoskeli Winery and Manousakis Winery.  Pick up is from your hotel or villa at 9:30am.

Inclusions: Lunch, Snacks, Alcoholic Beverages, All Fees and Taxes, Air-conditioned vehicle

Exclusions: Excludes any personal purchases, Excludes gratuity

Get ready for a completely novel experience. Hop on our comfortable, 7 seater 4wd vehicles and let us take you back in time in a small group up to 6 guests/guide through rough roads nor accessible by rentals. It will be an 8 hours tour close to nature in an altitude up to 850m (2800ft). You will be informed about the Cretan History, Culture, Tradition and you will visit the famous Milia Mountain Retreat for your lunch time, an eco-friendly tourist complex, one of the top 50 worldwide choices of National Geographic magazine, concerning eco-tourism and agro-tourism. The first Jeep Safari stop, will be to the unique 3000 years old olive tree which is still productive where you will enjoy your "coffee" time! Your wine & olive oil tastings will be at Anoskeli's olive mill and winery accompanied with Cretan Snacks.There will be frequently briefed stops to admire and take plenty of photos of wild landscape nature.

Inclusions: Lunch, Snacks, Bottled water, Coffee and/or Tea, Alcoholic Beverages, Wine and Olive Oil tasting, Air-conditioned vehicle, Liability Insurance

Exclusions: Gratuities

Wine Adventure Tour by Chania Wine Tours  Spend a full day swirling, sipping, and tasting through western Crete with wine professionals. Perfect for honeymoons, birthdays, or other special occasions. Vasili and Anna Maria, the owners of Chania Wine Tours, are Greek-Americans that returned to their ancestral home of Crete. They are passionate wine people- Vasili owns vineyards and Anna Maria is a Certified Sommelier.  The first half of the day is dedicated to olive oil. Take in the endless olive trees at the Cave of Saint John the Hermit, learn all about olive oil production at Biolea Estate olive mill, and visit the oldest olive tree in the world! The second half of the day is for wine! Visit the vineyards and tasting room at Karavitakis Winery. Learn how to taste wine properly and how grapes are grown. Enjoy 6 wines. Then to Manousakis Winery for a tour of the winery to learn how wine is made before enjoy 5 more wines. Full lunch with unlimited wine is served on their terrace.

Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges, Glass of Champagne, Unlimited drinks (open bar), Wine tasting, Alcoholic Beverages, Bottled water, 3-course lunch, Snacks

Exclusions: Gratuities

Have the opportunity to visit the only fresh water natural lake in the island of Crete, where you will relax and have a coffee break in a local taverna. You will admire the beauty of nature by riding a pedalo and for the brave ones by swimming into the lake with the ducks and the turtles. Next is the main destination the winery, where you will have a tour in the courtyard, the botanical garden and then to the production and storage area of the wines, to learn all the secrets of production and bottling. Then you will taste the delicacies of Crete in a light lunch with local wine.

Inclusions: Lunch, Alcoholic Beverages, Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation

Exclusions:

Privately catered Wine, Food and Art Pairing by your very own certified sommelier in an artful setting! Led by a diploma level sommelier this epic tour combines wine, food and art in a single inspiring experience! Meet a world exhibiting local artist and ceramist in his inspiring garden, Venetian villa and atelier and admire his work, as he welcomes you for a private wine and food pairing. Indulge in a Lunch paired with curated local Cretan and Greek wines. The tour is combined with sightseeing in Chania's wine region and winery visit to explore a local winery's cellars, production units, gardens and vineyards for a complete experience.

Inclusions: Privately catered Greek Meze style lunch, 10 wines to be tasted, Private Sommelier (Diploma Level) and professional commentary, Visit one winery, Visit a famous artist's atelier, Sightseeing in the heart of Crete's inland, Complimentary refreshments in the car, All Fees and Taxes

Exclusions:

Be transported to a magical world of wine, monasteries, chapels and scenic villages. Take the Sacred Paths to wonder! The tour’s first stop is the historic winery of the Monastery of Tzagarolon, this beautiful monastery is set in the picturesque Akrotiri peninsula of Chania. The temple features admirable Byzantine architecture, a folklore museum and an ancient library of rarities. Sample select wines from the monastery’s production while admiring and learning about the wine equipment of the past on display, your tasting will be paired with a small ‘kerasma’ meze offering. Enjoy a picturesque drive to the family-owned Dourakis Winery in Apokoronas to learn about viticulture and the winemaking process and taste their wine. The next stop is to a well-hidden old-style kafeneio, and just across from it is the last ‘sacred’ stop to meet the key holder of a treasured chapel to explore its beautifully painted Byzantine art interiors.

Inclusions: Traditional Greek/Cretan Meze lunch, 8 wines to be tasted, Private Sommelier (Diploma Level) and professional commentary, Visit the monastery of Agia Triada, Visit a local Cretan winery, Visit a beautiful hidden village, Explore Byzantine art at a beautiful small chapel, Complimentary refreshments in the car

Exclusions:

Escape on the most intimate and exclusive of Cretan brunch journey's with your beloved one or a group of friends. At the winery, you'll explore a vineyard, cellar and other production facilities before you dive into a homemade Cretan brunch. The setup is designed to please the eyes! On the menu are fresh eggs form the hencoop, local cheese, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, an aunty’s pie, sheep’s yoghurt and honey from The Psiloritis mountains. Cold cuts from a small producer and homemade rusks. Your brunch will be served in hand-made natural ceramic plates and dishes for an elevated experience. This unique pairing of wine for brunch is handcrafted to hearty, healthy and delicious perfection. All pots and plates are handmade with care by a local ceramist from natural clay. Depending on the winery and your location, we will include a short cultural stop to a pottery village, gorge or traditional kafenio (Cretan Café).

Inclusions: 6 wines to taste, Indulge in a Cretan brunch prepared just for you, Visit a cultural site such as the village of Margarites or a hidden Gorge, Professional guide sommelier with a certified diploma level from WSET, Pick-up and drop-off from and to your hotel, Refreshments during the trip, WiFi on board, Explore a winery, it's cellars and gardens

Exclusions:

The Mountain Village Food Tour is a unique way to see life in the mountain village of Crete. Your guide, Vasili moved from the United States to Crete in 2013 to revitalize his grandfather's land. Taste his home made wine, honey, and tsikoudia. It is with great pride he shares this experience with you. Hightlights *History and cultural significance of the mountain villages *Visit a farmstand to pick up local produce and cheese to be enjoyed later *Have coffee in a village kafenio *Visit honey bees, vineyards and olive trees *Sample wines directly from the barrels. Choose your favorite and bottle your own wine *Lunch at Ntounias- a unique and authentic farm to table meal *Drive through Therisso Gorge and stop for some traditional tsikoudia ​

Inclusions: Coffee and/or Tea, Lunch, Snacks

Exclusions:

Become a Cretan for a day by joining our trip around the Cretan mountains and countryside… Follow us for an unforgettable trip that will offer you unique experiences, views and tastes!Take advantage of our unique services and high quality 4x4 and 6-seated vehicles!

Inclusions: Lunch, Air-conditioned vehicle, Snacks, All Fees and Taxes, Alcoholic Beverages, Hotel Pick up and drop off, Wine tasting, Liability insurance

Exclusions:

The first references of wine and olive oil in Crete date back to 5.000BC during the Minoan civilization. 7.000 years later, Cretans produce wine, beer and olive oil on the same land, with the only changes the enhancement of production through technology and the optimization of crops! In this tour we will visit a Winery, a Beer and an Olive Oil Factory. All three have high standards of production, marrying the old traditions with modern technology. In each location we will spend around one hour touring the facilities and doing Tasting Tour! Another option could be to have lunch at a local restaurant, visit a 13th century Monastery, Maleme Airfield and its WW2 Military Cemetery. Before each tour, we have to confirm that the tours at the family industries will be available. Each location has 3-4 time slots available.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Guiding Services

Exclusions: Snacks, Lunch, 10 euro for Wine Tasting Tour per person, 10 euro for Beer Tasting Tour per person, 10 euro for Olive Tasting Tour per person