Karavitakis Vilana - Vidiano 2024

This white wine from the Karavitakis Winery is a blend of Vilana (65%) and Vidiano (35%), both indigenous Cretan grape varieties. The Vilana imparts refreshing lemony acidity whilst the Vidiano component adds ripe peach and apricot aromas, rich body and a creamy taste.

The Karavitakis Winery is located in Chania on the west of the island of Crete, where the family have been growing grapes for over 80 years. The winery’s modern era began in 1998 when Manolis Karavitakis decided to overhaul his family’s estate. By lowering yields and introducing low-intervention agriculture he brought about dramatic improvements and over the following 20 years this winery has become one of the leading lights of the Cretan wine scene. Manolis’s son Nikos now heads up the operation, farming 60 hectares of vineyards across the island, with a focus on local varieties such as the peachy white Vidiano and the elegant and food-friendly red Kotsifali. This quality-led approach, combined with a desire to showcase the island’s native grapes, has created wines that have international appeal whilst still retaining their local colour.