5 Night Luxury Food and Wine Tour of Crete, Greece – October 2017

10 – 15 October 2017

Indulge in the unique wines and celebrated cuisine of the majestic island of Crete, one of the first places to develop a wine culture over 4,000 years ago.   On this tour, you will taste and discover wines made from indigenous grape varieties that have been cultivated for millennia.  You will also experience firsthand the bounty of Crete – its fresh herbs and greens, olives and olive oils, pulses, cheeses and honeys – that makes Cretan cuisine both exceptionally flavourful and healthy.

You will enjoy daily food and wine experiences.  We will visit wineries and vineyards and be introduced to indigenous grape varieties and wine regions of Greece.  Throughout the tour, the emphasis will be on tasting and discovering the wonderful wines produced from native Cretan varietals.

Cretan cuisine is among the most celebrated in all of Greece!  Our group will learn the principles of the healthful Cretan diet and cook alongside some local Greek chefs.   You will also shop at a wonderful food and spice market and  cheese deli with a visit to an organic olive oil producers.

Last but not least, this tour features stunning scenery – majestic mountains, rolling vineyards, pristine coastline and charming Venetian-influenced towns – and visits to important archaeological sites on the island.

THIS TOUR IS DESIGNED FOR chefs, “foodies,” or anyone who appreciates great meals, a good glass of wine, and unspoiled natural beauty.

Itinerary

  • Oct 10  Welcome to Crete, Greece – Tour starts from Chania Airport you must be on Aegean flight #7332 (Departs 7:50am from Athens) (You are responsible for booking flight) – Tour around Akrotiri
  • Oct 11  Mountain Lake, Grilled Food, and Wine
  • Oct 12  Greek Coffees and Seaside feasts
  • Oct 13  Walking Tour of Chania
  • Oct 14  Frosini’s Garden private cooking class, Wine tasting, Olive Trees
  • Oct 15   Check out is at 10am

Oct 10 – Welcome to Crete, Greece

Arrive into Chania, Greece airport on Aegean flight #7332 arrive 8:40am from Athens (flight not included).

Akrotiri is a peninsula protruding into the sea and rich in history.   We will start our tour with a stop coffee stop near the Tombs. Then we will visit Venizelos Tombs. It also has a spectacular view point. Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos was an eminent Greek leader of the Greek national liberation movement and a charismatic statesman of the early 20th century. He was Prime Minster of Greece several times. Venizelos had such profound influence on the internal and external affairs of Greece that he is credited with being “the maker of modern Greece. After that we will visit a working monastery where they produce their own olive oil and wine. For lunch, we will drive a short distance to Marathi a lovely seaside town. (non hosted).   This will include time for a quick swim in the ocean.   At last we will drive to our accommodations for our 4pm check-in time.

Our first dinner together will be at ‘O Leventis’ Ano Stalos just a short drive from our accommodations. It’s been there since the middle 90’s has truly justifies its reputation of fine Cretan cooking.

(Dinner with some Wine included, Lunch at Marathi not included)

 

Oct 11 – Mountain, Lake, Grilled Food, Wine

After a leisure morning, we will drive to the village of Vryssis for a coffee stop along the Creekside. Our next stop will be Droukakis Winery where we will have a tour and time to taste their wines. We will then head up into the mountains and stop for a panoramic photo shoot of the only fresh water lake in Crete. We will continue up into the mountains for a late lunch at Kali Kardia. This is a small grill house where everything is cooked to order. They have the best potatoes in the world. The grill is across the street from where the tables are so luckily there is not too much traffic.

(Breakfast and Late lunch with some local wine included)

 

Oct 12 – Greek Coffees and Seaside feasts

We will begin our day with a coffee stop at the little local village spot under the big tree in Kaloudiana. Our next visit will be the cave of Saint John the Hermit where services are still performed at Christmas time. A short drive from the cave we will visit the ancient village of Polirinia.

Polirinia – a city built to last

Ancient Polirinia was built on top of a high hill – more than 400 metres high. The location of the city offers excellent view to all the surrounding area. The city was heavily fortified – many historians believe it was the most fortified city in Crete. Part of the strong fortification of Polirinia is still visible today. The name “Polirinia” comes from the ancient Greek words “poly”, which means many and “renea”, which means sheep. The name implies that the main occupation of the residents of Polirinia was stock farming. It might be in the beginning, but, historically, the city and its people were very warlike. The warriors of Polirinia were very skilled – we could say that Polirinia was the Sparta of Crete.

After our visit to Polirinia the Sparta of Crete we will have a picturesque drive to the seaside with a seaside feast at The Cellar.

(Breakfast and Late Lunch with some local wine/meal is included)

 

Oct 13 Walking Tour of Chaina

This morning we visit the Venetian harbor of Chania. Chania has a rich and diverse history starting with the Minoan settlements of the Kydonia, then the Byzantine Era, followed by the Venetian Era which you can see clearly in the old harbor. In 1645 the Ottoman empire seized Chania and ruled for 200 years until the pact of Halepa was signed. We will take an hour walking tour this morning followed by some free time to explore on your own. Then we will meet for lunch at the little seafood Taverna by the Fisherman’s harbor. After lunch there will be a short drive to the Manousakis Winery. We will have a wine tour followed by a wine tasting. After our winery tour we will head back to our accommodations. Dinner will be on your own.

(Breakfast and Lunch with some wine included, Dinner on your own – many tavernas located within walking distance)

 

Oct 14 Frosini’s Garden private cooking class, Wine tasting, Olive Tree We will begin our day early with a Greek Coffee made just the way you like it at Frosini’s Garden. This is where we will have our cooking class. This will be a highlight of the week I promise you. We will have hands on experience creating authentic Greek dishes. While our meal is cooking, we will drive a short distance to a very local winery – Neriana for a delightful wine tasting. We will return to Frosini and once the meal is cooked we will sit down to a traditional Cretan feast. Fosini’s Garden is an organinc taverna offering a wide variety of Cretan dishes made from fresh products grown in their own garden. Dishes are cooked in a traditional wood burning oven.

Afterwards is a short drive to the Olive Tree of Vouves for our last stop. It is not known how old it is exactly with estimations ranging between 3000 and 5000 years old but it is probably the oldest olive tree in the world and maybe the most famous one. Due to its special aesthetic, ecological and historical characteristics the tree was declared a natural monument in 1997.

(Breakfast and cooking class with local wine/meal is included)

 

Oct 15 – Time to say Good bye

Check out is at 10am. Plan your flights around check out if you can. There are many flights from Chania to Athens. Transfer to the airport is not included. Taxi is about 30 euro.

TOUR PRICES  INCLUDES

  • Accommodation for 5 nights
  • Breakfast daily, Lunch or Dinner each day (see Itinerary for complete list)
  • Transportation
  • Cooking Class
  • 2 Wine Tastings
  • Snacks and some wine to enjoy in our accommodation
  • Tour Guide fluent in Greek

TOUR PRICES DOES NOT INCLUDE

  • Travel insurance, if desired
  • Transfer to and from Airport
  • Personal purchases
  • Several meals are not included
  • International flights
  • Airfare to Crete, Greece Flights from Athens to Chania are about $170US roundtrip

 

Pricing Details* (per person US$)

*Airfare not included in prices listed

Food and Wine tour in Crete

Double occupancy  EURO 995/person

 

To Reserve your space

Send email to: winedivadeb@yahoo.com or call Wine Diva Deb on 206-617-6160.

A deposit of Euro 300 is required on booking. Space is limited to 12 persons.

All reservations based on double occupancy.

Final payment due 120 days (June 1, 2017) prior to departure.
Discount of 2% on final payment if complete trip is paid in cash

No fee for Personal credit cards
1% fee for Business credit cards and American Express
2% fee for International credit cards

Cancellation Policy                                                                            Cancellation Terms

Deposit due upon booking                                                                         300

From 121 days prior to departure:                                                            300 loss of Deposit

120 – 90 days prior to departure:                                                             50% loss of Trip

90 days prior to departure:                                                                        100% loss of Trip

Travel Insurance highly recommended as well as Personal & Medical Insurance.