Cretan wine
Encyclopedia
Cretan wine is wine from the Greek
island of Crete
. It has a long history since wine was certainly being made by the Minoans before 1600 BC. 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
. In late medieval Europe, in the 14th to 16th centuries, vino di Candia (Candia is modern Heraklion
) 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). Within the current classification of Greek wine
there are several Cretan appellations, including Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. It has a long history since wine was certainly being made by the Minoans before 1600 BC. Wines from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
are not listed among those specially prized in classical Greece, but under the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in the 2nd century AD Crete was known for a sweet wine, protropos, which was exported to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In late medieval Europe, in the 14th to 16th centuries, vino di Candia (Candia is modern Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
) 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). Within the current classification of Greek wine
Greek wine
Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago where wine was produced on a household or communal basis. In ancient times, as trade in wine became extensive, it was transported from end to end of the...
there are several Cretan appellations, including Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia.