Created in
a blessed island
A place of distinct weather conditions featuring rich soil, where true connoisseurs in viticulture bring out the best from the Cretan land.
THE VINEYARDS
Cultivated for thousands of years ever since the Minoan crops
The soils
The island of Crete boasts its geophysical position in the Mediterranean, providing the ultimate place to be. When it comes to its soil, its richness in minerals offers a great means towards cultivating vineyards of exceptional quality standards. With the additional presence of clay, the soil becomes perfect for the grapes to grow. Along with the mild temperatures and the sea breeze, the controlled humidity and abundant sunlight, the Cretan secret gets unveiled.
The vine varieties
In Crete, you will find many different grape varieties. At DS DISTILLERIES, we make use of Liatiko for the most part. This is an old red wine variety that produces fine distilled drinks with exquisite aromas. We also use Vidiano as a white Greek wine grape variety of unique properties. Kotsifali is another indigenous grape variety in Crete, which we combine discovering the perfect balance for the ultimate gastronomic result. All those varieties along with Syrah and Malvasia bring out the finest products of Cretan nature.
The harvest
We live and breathe for our vineyards. We take care of them from the beginning of the journey up until its very end. As we watch the grapevines grow, we get filled with anticipation. And on the day of the grape harvest, our joy is monumental. We feel grateful for nature’s bliss and abundance towards us, making sure that we make the best use of its gifts. Our team of professionals is what makes us stand out all these years.
From the vineyards where the true
spirit of Crete derives
THE GRAPE MUST
A timeless recipe
starts from here
Selection, pressing, fermentation
The whole journey of the grape from being grown to being picked, then pressed and fermented, is truly fascinating. What makes it even more outstanding is the way the past is fused with the present and the future in every single part of the process. In line with Greek and international legislation, nowadays all the different parts of grape cultivation have become mainly mechanical.
However, tradition is omnipresent and in fact instills a sense of classic, timeless craftmanship that cannot be matched. Upgrading the knowledge of the past with the modern methods and cutting-edge technology drives progress and optimizes the procedure. After the pressing of the grapes, their skins and seeds are stored in barrels for 40 days and this is where fermentation occurs.
Keeping the cretan tradition
of tsikoudia alive
THE DISTILLATION
The spirit of Crete drop after drop
The great day
Distillation is a joyous celebration for everyone, as the hard labor of all these months finally bears fruits. The process for producing Cretan raki has remained intact throughout the centuries, as part of the island’s history. The special metal cauldron or “kazani” consists of the container, the lid and a pipe used to let the steam out.
Cretans light a fire below the cauldron and let raki simmer for hours. Upon reaching the boiling point, distillation begins, and the first drops of the distilled product appear after an hour. The whole distillation process takes about three hours, during which time Cretans traditionally celebrate eating and drinking, singing and dancing.
THE end PRODUCT
One last step before our products travel the world
From bottling to your heart
The final steps towards the end product are equally important to those that have preceded them, as they ensure that our raki maintains the finest quality standards to be enjoyed by everybody. The bottling process is held with utmost care and attention, using cutting-edge technology to secure the optimal performance.
The ideal conditions of standardization apply, in order to preserve the quality of the product. Every bottle is sealed and packaged, so that it can be transported easily and effectively. A final check and our favorite products are ready to be shipped and deliver joy to every single part of the world.
Discover all of the products of KretaRaki and dive into a world of tradition
Discover all of the products of KretaRaki and dive into a world of tradition
