Cretan wine is wine from the Greek island of Crete. [1] It has a long history since wine was certainly being made by the Minoans since the Bronze Age. [2] Wines from Crete are not listed among those specially prized in classical Greece, but under the Roman Empire in the 2nd century AD Crete was known for a sweet wine, protropos, which was exported to Italy. [3]
In late medieval Europe, in the 14th to 16th centuries, vino di Candia ( Heraklion is modern day Candia) and Crete are wine names listed as highly valued in several sources from western and northern Europe; they were sweet and "hot" wines (hot in a dietary sense).[ citation needed] Within the current classification of Greek wine there are several Cretan appellations, including Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia. [4]
Soil
The combination of particular varieties placed in a unique terroir results in original flavour and perfume to Crete wines. This distinct terroir is a result of calcisol soils in mountain ranges and characteristic Mediterranean climate: the limestone lands range from denser clay to sandy loam, allowing the vine roots to grow deep, reaching water and mineral resources in depth; the weather provides hot and sunny summers and mild, rainy winters. Finally, the north of Africa provides hot winds while the Aegean Sea in the north, the cooling breezes. [5]
See also
References
- ^ "Wines of Crete and Wine Tourism". WinesOfCrete.gr. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
- ^ Hamilakis, Y (1999) Food Technologies/Technologies of the Body: The Social Context of Wine and Oil Production and Consumption in Bronze Age Crete [1]
- ^ "Greek Wines Ancient and Modern". greekworks.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-16. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
- ^ "Greek Wines – Crete Region". greekwine.gr. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
- ^ "Crete Wine Region, Greece | Winetourism". www.winetourism.com. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
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