Network of Cretan Winemakers launches campaign to bring local products to island festivals

The Network of Cretan Winemakers, with support from the Region of Crete, has launched an initiative called “Akoume, Trome kai Pinoume Kritika” (“We Listen, Eat and Drink Cretan”), aiming to connect the hundreds of summer festivals held across Crete with local production and Cretan products.

According to the network, the campaign seeks to use the popularity of these festivals, which draw thousands of Cretans and visitors each year, to give greater visibility to Cretan wine and other local products produced on the island.

The organizers said the goal is to gradually build a wider network linking producers, event organizers and local communities, giving Cretan products more exposure and value while also strengthening the cultural identity of Cretan festivals by connecting music and tradition with local gastronomy and wine.

First event held in Episkopi

The initiative was first showcased at a festival in Episkopi on Friday, August 7, called “Glenti opos palia” (“A Feast Like the Old Days”). The event was organized by the Cultural and Folklore Association of Episkopi in collaboration with the Network of Cretan Winemakers and the Ploigos organization, as part of the “Crete – Gastronomic Region of Europe” program.

The network described the response from attendees as strong, saying it demonstrated that branded Cretan wine can take a more prominent place at the island’s musical and cultural events. The organizers said their aim now is for the initiative to expand to more festivals across Crete.

Reaction from organizers

“What led us to move forward with this initiative is that, when visiting other regions of Europe such as Tuscany, Sicily, Bordeaux and Burgundy, we saw that at popular events, in restaurants and local dining establishments, local products are consumed,” Stelios Zachariadakis, president of the Network of Cretan Winemakers, told Cretalive.

He said that for decades, entertainment at Cretan festivals had been associated with the consumption of spirits such as vodka and whisky, and that the initiative offers an alternative. “This top cultural event of Crete can be complete and truly connected to our culture only when we consume Cretan products,” Zachariadakis added.

Cretan wine served at the tables

At the Episkopi event, bottled, branded Cretan wine was served chilled, in ice buckets and stemmed glasses. According to the network, attendees sampled wines selected from member wineries of the Network of Cretan Winemakers, and all the wines chosen for the evening sold out before the event ended.

The wine was accompanied by a platter of local products from the area, prepared with input from the Cretan Master Chefs Association.

Comments from officials and artists

Zachariadakis thanked Dimitris Hatzidakis, president of the Cultural and Folklore Association of Episkopi, and its board, for adopting the initiative for the village’s traditional festival. He also thanked Charis Roditakis, president of Ploigos, for the organization’s cooperation with the winemakers’ network, and Tasos Papadakis, president of the Cretan Master Chefs Association, for preparing the food platter.

Stavros Tzedakis, the Region of Crete’s Deputy Regional Governor for the Primary Sector, said the effort deserved support and pointed to the need to boost consumption of products made locally and linked to the island’s economy and culture, rather than products with no connection to local production. He said that choosing Cretan wine and accompanying local products creates a chain of added value that benefits producers and the local economy.

Lyra player Stelios Vasilakis also spoke in support of the initiative, saying Cretan wine and local products are part of the island’s identity and culture.

Plans for more festivals

According to the Network of Cretan Winemakers, the initiative began under the “Crete – Gastronomic Region of Europe” program and was subsequently taken up by the Region of Crete. The network said it plans to extend the campaign to other Cretan festivals and cultural events through the end of the summer season.