Iliana Malihin isn’t just making soulful, thoughtful (and thoroughly delightful) wines on Crete, she’s helping revitalize an entire region.

Around the medieval town of Rethymno, Iliana farms some vineyards herself (planted to grape varieties Vidiano, Liatiko,... Read More

Iliana Malihin isn’t just making soulful, thoughtful (and thoroughly delightful) wines on Crete, she’s helping revitalize an entire region.

Around the medieval town of Rethymno, Iliana farms some vineyards herself (planted to grape varieties Vidiano, Liatiko, and Thrapsithiri), and contracts more from her neighbors. She has convinced them to farm organically — not so difficult on the hot, dry, and windy island — and has made it possible for these locals to hold onto their land, instead of selling it off to real estate developers looking to build yet another hotel.

Crete is Greece's largest Greek, and has long played an important role in the country’s cultural history (one classical author gives Crete as the birthplace of Zeus, and we’ve all heard of the Minotaur and Icarus) and viticultural (20% of Greek wine is produced here). It’s mountainous and rugged, and some of the higher elevation areas enjoy a much cooler climate than you’d expect for an island in the southern Mediterranean, a few hundred kilometers from the shores of Libya.

The elegance and precision these wines offer are a testament to the mitigating factor of elevation — they are lifted and complex, with punchy aromatics and lots of concentration. Old vine Vidiano is a native Cretan treasure, capable of making wines with terrific textures, broad and lush without sacrificing tension and freshness. It captures the fragrances and flavors of the island — white flowers, fresh herbs, sea breeze, orchard fruit, citrus. The red Liatiko is wild and brambly, with lots of spice, fine tannins, and wild berry flavors; wines made from it are fresh and juicy.

In 2022 most of Iliana’s vineyards suffered devastating wildfires, destroying almost everything above ground. Luckily, the roots are vigorous enough to regrow the vines, but that is, of course, a long process. She told us she felt the same kind of grief losing her vines as when she lost a loved one — she is that deeply invested in her island’s viticultural traditions.

Thankfully, a few vineyard sites were unharmed, and from those she produces a stunning rosé (my favorite rosé I tasted in 2023), and a few other cuvées. The road to recovery will be a long one, but for someone as dedicated and talented as Iliana, I have all the hope in the world she will succeed — and then some. Iliana’s US importer has a bit of her stunning ‘21s and ‘22s left in stock, and this is your chance to get to know these wines and the very promising young winemaker behind them.