Private Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in Heraklion

Start your day with a pickup by air-conditioned car or minivan from your Crete hotel to Heraklion. As you travel, ask your driver any questions you have; the beauty of a private tour is that the commentary is tailored to your interests.

Make your first stop at a renowned Greek winery for a tour of the cellar, production area and vineyards. Learn about the winery’s history and winemaking methods, and watch an award-winning audiovisual presentation about Crete. Then, enjoy a guided tasting of some of the estate’s best wine. Sip on three varietals, served with dakos (rusk topped with feta cheese, tomato and olives), and pick up tips on how to identify the varying aromas and ingredients.

After, hop back inside your private vehicle and continue on to Arolithos, a reconstruction of a typical Cretan village. On arrival, visit a local folklore museum, making your way through three rooms of agricultural artifacts and handicrafts. Then, see some of the traditional houses, constructed according to the architectural style of the last century, for an up-close look at life in old-world Crete.

Next, enjoy a traditional village welcome. Sip on raki (anise-flavored spirit), soda and mineral water, and savor salty nuts and raisins as you talk with your private group about your museum visit.

Then, meet your cooking class instructor and get straight to work preparing starters such as ntolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and tzatziki. After, enjoy a short break, during which you’ll watch a presentation about the production of olive oil. You’ll also have the chance to taste olives and virgin olive oil, served with local cheese, rusks and raki.

Back at your cooking station, learn how to prepare sarikopites (cheese pie), a distinctively shaped Cretan dessert also known as a ‘turban pie.’ Then, sit down to enjoy the wonderful food you’ve prepared, along with freshly baked bread, wine and mineral water.With your appetite sated, return to your private vehicle and relax on the journey to your Crete hotel.

Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.