During the ceremony held at Rethymno's Folklore Museum on 21st April 2018, RECEVIN's representatives offered the award to Rethymno.
The relationship between the Greeks and the wine is historically confirmed and goes back millennia of Cretan History. It is unquestionably proven by the archaeological finds and documented in written texts as well as depicted in ancient vases, wall paintings along with other findings that were brought to light by the archaeological excavations and are exhibited in Museums all over the world.
The relationship of the Cretans, however, with the wine, is even stronger, more substantial and deeper. On our island, we have findings of systematic 4,000-year-old vine cultivation. According to Homer, Cretan wines enjoyed international recognition in his era. At the Museum of Eleutherna, the visitor can see a special grape vase display on burial ceremonies. In the Minoan era, the Minoan seafarers transported products of Cretan land to all the ports of the Mediterranean and to Egypt. During the long period that Crete was under the domination of the Venetians, the annual exports of excellent quality wine, consisted of thousands of barrels.
So, it is an undeniable fact, that the relationship between the Cretan people and the wine has remained timeless, stable and rigid in terms of its intensity and quality. The wine accompanies every expression of life, here, in Crete. It is connected with our religion, traditions and customs that we inherited from our ancestors, our everyday habits. Wine is our constant companion in sorrows and joys, family and friendly tables, celebrations, public events, our personal moments, our professional activity, the whole spectrum of our social activities. It is part of our existence, it is a symbol of composition, continuity, coexistence, harmony in our relation with earth, the natural environment and people.
In the proposal of our candidacy, we depicted only a part of the actions we support relating to wine, such as the Cretan Diet Festival, the Feast of Saint George the Methyst, as well as the systematic presence and active participation of the local winemakers and businessmen of Tourism, ιn international and domestic meetings and exhibitions that focus on Wine, etc. As a city that invests in extroversion and the continuous acquisition of know-how, Rethymno and its Municipality, shares the agony of the new generation of our winemakers, winegrowers and viticulturists, who try and seek with their knowledge, their vision and their strong will, to pursue consistently and proficiently, in a constantly changing world, the modern developments, to exploit the new technological means, to upgrade the quality of their product and to offer the world the opportunity to experience and enjoy the delicious richness of the varieties of Cretan wine, with respect to each consumer ‘s preferences.
Throughout this year, many cultural and culinary actions are planned, both for professionals and the public, starting with the Cretan Diet Festival July 1-7 2018. The full Agenda of Events in Rethymno area and all over Crete, will be shortly announced in rethymno.guide and rethymno.gr
watch the video
Introducing liatiko
Date: Friday 10 th August 2018
Location: Perama Town Hall Sq.
Venue: 2 €
During the festival of the Cultural Association of Perama, Gi Mylopotamou, all the visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a wine-tasting experience of the Cretan red indigenous variety liatiko, by the Rethymno-Recevin team.
This variety, which may be lacking in color, but has unique sweetness and character, will be introduced to the public in order to discover the aroma, the taste, and the wine-pairing that liatiko has to offer. Before the wine-tasting, there will be an introductory presentation from Mr.Petros Melios, oenologist-mathematician and scientific consultant of the West AtticaUniversity.
Cretan Wine tasting under the stars, at Fortezza Fortress, June 30
Cretan Winery fair in Rethymno this Thursday, 19th of July
After the great success of the Cretan Diet Festival and the actions which were made to promote Cretan wine, the active team of "Rethymno Recevin" puts on the agenda another event, in the context of the distinction of Rethymno city as “European Wine City 2018” by the RECEVIN (European Wine Crop Network).
Municipality of Rethymno along with the Aquila Hotels & Resorts group which started recently to develop the wine sector, organize one more wine tasting event which will take place at Aquila Rithymna Beach.
This is the first hotel that responded positively to the call of Rethymnon Hoteliers Association and will host a unique evening dedicated to Cretan wine on Thursday, July 19th 2018, from 19:00 to 21:00, on a free-entry basis. Hopefully this occasion will be the starting point for Cretan wine events in hotels, celebrating the title of "European Wine City 2018", where a Greek city represents for the first time. 21 wineries of Crete, meet with the wine-loving audience of Rethymno, offering native variety wines, combining them with unique Cretan cheeses and Cretan smoked at the outdoor areas of the hotel.
Pepi Birliraki, president of KEDI.R., stated: "Rethymno is a European City of Wine, and the local community begins and responds to actions that concern our own wine, our own varieties, our own products. We are pleased that the first hotel responded positively to the invitation. We are optimistic that other hotels will also follow and participate in our actions, and also place more Cretan labels in their restaurants, offering authentic flavors of Crete to their visitors. We put together the foundations for making Rethymno a wine-gastronomic destination, famous not only for its natural beauty but also for the wine and the food that visitors can enjoy”.
Mr. Kostas Damanakis, the hotel manager of Aquila Rithymna Beach, stated: "The Aquila Hotels & Resorts Group has consistently supported the promotion of local products giving emphasis on local vineyards and native varieties. We are very pleased to support and participate in the actions that are related to the distinction of Rethymnon as a European Wine City 2018. We are confident that these efforts and actions promote and establish our place as a unique destination."
The event is organized in cooperation with the Municipality of Rethymnon and the Aquila Rithymna Beach, it is supported by the wine-producing members of Wines of Crete and big sponsor of the “Rethymno European Wine City” is the wine hotel “La Grotta”
