Wine, Olive Oil, and Honey Tour with Winemaker

I went on this tour with my friend, and we both agree that, of everything we did in Greece (Santorini, Crete, and Athens), this is the one thing we would tell people not to skip. From the amazing views to the people we met along the way to the wine and food, you can’t go wrong with this epic experience. We started our day by being picked up by Giannis, who was incredibly knowledgeable about the entire olive oil, honey, and wine business. I learned so much from him just in the car ride to the olive oil facility. Once there, we were able to taste a variety of olive oils and see the entire process, from a farmer bringing the olives in to the final product. After the olive oil experience, we drove through the mountains, past cute villages and goats, to the vineyard where we picked grapes that were to be made into wine. There, we met Vasili, who shows us the proper way to pick grapes and encourage us to take all the photos we wanted. Next, we went to meet Nikos, who is a shepherd, cheese maker, musician, and (probably) the most interesting man in the world. Everyone got a chance to milk a sheep if we wanted, and that milk was made into a cheese in front of us. We were able to eat that cheese, along with a variety of other cheeses made by Nikos. We then went to see the winery, where we poured our own wine from the barrels and tried 6 different types of wine. I love wine, but Vasili had a way of explaining how to taste wine that made wine tasting a less daunting and more enjoyable experience. After the wine, Vasili took us to his bee hives, where the ones who wanted to get closer suited up in a bee keeper’s jacket and gloves. He allowed us to hold the frames carrying the bees. We actually saw a baby bee being born and he made it a point to show us a queen while explaining how bee keeping works. The last thing we did was have a delicious dinner with Giannis and Vasili. They served us a Greek salad, with local cheese, olive oil, cucumber, and basil. We ate bread, cheese made by Nikos, honey from the hives we just saw, and meat grilled in front of us. We met Vasili’s mother, gave her a kiss from her daughter-in-law, Anna Maria, and drank Raki. Overall, I don’t think words or pictures can explain how incredible this experience was. It truly gave us a look into a real Greek family’s small business and life in Crete. I can’t recommend this tour enough.

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This tour wisks you out of the city and lets you come up close and personal with the beautiful mountainous country side and its olive oil, dairy, wine, and honey making. It’s amazing that the tour fits in so much and is still completely unrushed and relaxed. Visiting Vasili’s and Nikos’ homesteads and doing all the amazing activities there in preparation of the group lunch is just unique. We felt like dear fuests. Also many thanks to Gianni who was our knowledgeable tour guide and expert driver along the way. By the way, it rained on the day we took the tour. It was still very much worth it as we did all the activities.

We booked Chania Wine Tours with Anna Maria, and it was one of the best guided experiences we have ever had. We are not wine connoisseurs. She understood and built the day around our actual interests: a bit of wine, far more Cretan history, historical and religious sites and stories, and an outstanding olive oil farm tour. She is a certified sommelier, and the knowledge showed, but she never made it a lecture. Passionate, personable, and the conversation was natural from start to finish. Transportation was excellent, which is not a small thing on the mountain roads outside Chania. She is a confident driver and an excellent communicator, with perfect English and Greek. The whole day had a clear flow and never felt rushed or padded. If you want a guide who will shape the tour to you rather than run a script, book Anna Maria. Highest recommendation.

Great experience. We appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Crete olive oil cultivation, beekeeping, wine production, sheep husbandry, and cheese production. Tour guide was very informative and provided insight into local culture.

This was easily one of the most memorable experiences of our entire trip to Crete. It was so much more than just a wine tour. It felt like getting a genuine look into Cretan culture, traditions, food, and hospitality. From the olive oil tasting, to actually milking a sheep on a farm and making cheese from the fresh milk, to visiting and handling an apiary, every part of the experience was hands-on, unique, and incredibly well done. You could tell that everything was rooted in real local tradition rather than being something created just for tourists. The homemade wine tasting was fantastic, and the family-style lunch was the perfect way to end the day. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and it truly felt like being invited into a Cretan family’s home rather than simply attending a tour. Our driver Yannis was exceptional; very funny and super informative. Vasili was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, passionate, and made everyone feel comfortable and involved throughout the entire experience. We learned a ton, laughed a lot, ate incredibly well, and came away with memories we’ll be talking about for years. If you’re visiting Crete and want an authentic experience that goes far beyond the typical sightseeing tour, I cannot recommend this enough. Absolutely THE highlights of our trip and a true 10/10 experience. We will be visiting Crete again specifically for this tour!

We had the most amazing day!!! Making sheep's cheese, learning about beekeeping, tasting fabulous wines and a beautiful traditional lunch while sitting in the middle of a vineyard. It was a rare opportunity to get out of the city and truly experience such a beautiful culture with an amazing family! Thank you for an unforgettable day!

We had a really fun day with Vasili and everyone else involved on the tour. We did a lot, saw a lot and ate and drank a lot! What a rare opportunity to see the tradition and culture! Top recommendation! Don’t hesitate to book!

This tour was wonderful! Visili and Yanni made a point to include our children (9 and 5) in each part of the tour. We learned so much and got to see the gorgeous mountains of Crete. Very much worth the money to do this tour!

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My husband and I did this tour during our Honeymoon and it was a highlight of our time in Chania. John was our driver and guide for the day and was very engaging. The olive oil stop at Melissakis was fantastic. Tasting all the olive oils was delicious, I wish I could've brought more home! Trying freshly made cheese was a fun and unique experience, as was milking a sheep! Vasili guided us once we got to the wine tasting portion. He was an excellent guide and clearly loves what he does. The wine tasting straight from the barrel was excellent. Vasili did an excellent job explaining the wines without it being too much information. Highly recommend purchasing some wine to take home if you can. The picnic in the vineyard, overlooking the mountains, is something we won't forget. We helped prepare a Cretan salad (so good) and enjoyed other local foods with Vasili's wine. It felt like being invited into someone's home, probably because it was! We highly recommend this tour!

My husband and I joined an amazing tour with Chania Wine tours while in Crete last week. Pick up was super prompt and easy. We proceeded to an olive oil mill first where we tried many different delicious natural and infused olive oils, then we visited some sheep (even got to milk one!) and had fresh cheese. So good! After that, we learned about Vasily’s wine, got hands on with his bees, and had a delicious lunch with incredible views. Thank you to everyone for an incredible and fun experience!!