Lyrarakis “Kedros”

Wine Info

Region: Crete, Greece

Grapes: Liatiko 100%

ABV: 13.5%

Winemaker: Myriam Ambuzer

Viticulture: Organic

Winemaking: Direct press, short skin contact

“Rosé in the fall? Why not?”

One of the reasons we started Crunchy Red Fruit was to put wines in front of you that wouldn’t otherwise make it there. You can go to a grocery store and find fifty different California Sauvignon blancs, but you will be hard-pressed to find a wine from Greece, even though they’re making some of the world’s most interesting wines today.

Take the Liatiko grape. It’s something you’d never see unless you traveled to the island of Crete. Until a few years ago, Liatiko went into bulk blends or got sold off. It was mostly forgotten. All over the wine world, whether it was Greece, Spain, Italy, or France, many obscure grapes like this have been rediscovered and brought back to life by aspiring winemakers.

Lyrarakis is a winery doing a lot of things. They’re making adventurous wines with grapes like Assyrtiko, Daphne, and Liatiko, and doing them with great style. A strong woman is at the winemaking helm, in a male-dominated field.

Why rosé in the fall? Why not? There’s no reason not to. Who says you have to only drink certain wines on a calendar day? We are all about food pairing, and this wine was perfect with Melissa’s cuisine. When you have cuisine that features garlic, seafood, citrus, and other strong flavors, rosé is often a perfect neutral foil to provide a backdrop. It doesn’t fight with the chef’s food or get in the way, it just pairs. That’s why I keep rosé around throughout the year.

When you first smell this wine, it’s less about fruit. It gives the impression of the Mediterranean. Bay leaves, rosemary, lemon balm and bergamot. On the palate, that fruit comes to the forefront with fresh cranberry, raspberry and red apple. This rosé is super dry, and very tangy. We think you’ll love it.