Tsikoudia is the name given to the traditional Cretan Raki.
Our Tsikoudia is a distillate from the marc, or pomace, of our Roussanne grapes. Tsikoudia has a long standing history here in Crete and is used not only as an aperitif, but also for it's therapeutic powers that locals believe it has. Making Tsikoudia is a big event in any village. Normally, the entire village gets together, each family bringing their grape pomace and distilling it all night long, sometimes non-stop for a few days depending on harvest quantities. Traditionally, we enjoy this strong spirit at either room temperature or directly from the freezer.
Tsikoudia, distillate from the marc of Roussanne grapes Variety: Roussanne Soil: Schist, sandy clay loamy, 320 (1050ft) and 600m (1950ft) in altitude Vineyard pruning and training: Goblet and Vertical Shoot Position, trained in either double Cordon Royat or Guyot simple Harvest: August 15th to August 25 th Distillation: Single distillation of grape marc in copper stills with plateau