After our first port of call in Naples, our approach to Chania, Crete at sunrise was quite a sight. These were the views as we approached this morning, waking up as the ship was already entering port.

Picked Up by Our Sommelier for the Day

We were picked up just outside the port gate by Anna Maria, our sommelier for the day and the owner-operator of Chania Wine Tours. She drove us up into the mountains toward Dourakis Winery, winding through small towns and lush countryside along the way.

Dourakis Winery: A Family-Owned Vineyard

Dourakis Winery is a family-owned vineyard. We started with a tour of the winery itself, then settled onto the patio with Anna Maria for a wine tasting paired with a farm-to-table local lunch. We let Anna Maria order all the food — traditional dishes, every one of them delicious.

Most importantly, the wine kept coming, each pour accompanied by a rundown of the grape, the process, and the aging. Anna Maria also walked us through a full pairing lesson: what foods to try with each wine and why those pairings matter to the local culture and cuisine. The pairings themselves were wonderful.

Our First Taste of Orange Wine

This was also our first taste of orange wine, usually made from Assyrtiko or Vidiano grapes. It’s made by fermenting the crushed grapes with their skins and seeds rather than separating the juice right away. The result is a very fresh wine with a hint of bittersweetness and some stone fruit notes. Good pairings include seafood, spicy dishes like Thai food, hard bold cheeses, and earthy vegetables like mushrooms and eggplant.

It was a magnificent day.