Over the last 3 1/2 years living in Amsterdam, I’ve been lucky enough to pick up many different wines on my travels. I’m enjoying may way through them and thought I’d share with you as I go in case you’re interested in seeking one out.
Tonight I’m enjoying the Boutari Kretikos White 2007 from the island of Crete, the southernmost island of Greece, that I picked up on a July 4th 2008 visit to Crete. I’ve explored many of Greece’s wines and Crete has a long tradition of growing & cultivating wine, also called viniculture or viticulture.
Kretikos Boutari White is made of Vilana grapes, a local white variety grown in these sunny vineyards which also benefit from the breezes off the Aegean Sea. Its a fresh wine perfect for a summer day or evening (or even an escape on a Winter’s evening like tonight) and has a bouquet of apricots, peach & honey and a green appley peachy taste.
Its characteristic blue label reflects the vibrant blue color found in the Greek flag and mirrored in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The label depicts a fresco from Knossos, the palace of mythological King Minoa, King of Greece’s ancient Minoan civilization. Located close to the winery this archaelogical site has some of the earliest traces of western winemaking and is a very cool place to visit.
“Boutari‘s state-of-the-art Cretan winery is home to one of the country’s premier gourmet restaurants and hospitality centers. Boutari was the first Greek winemaker to open its doors to the public and this tradition continues with its cutting-edge theater where viewers recline in specially designed theater chairs and sip wine as they take a tour through the history of Greek winemaking.”