At the age of 26, Iliana Malíhin set up her winery on the slopes of Crete’s Mount Vouvala. Her first wines, which revealed the hidden potential of some of Europe’s oldest ungrafted vineyards, were a sensation. But just two years later, in 2022, wildfires ripped through the region, destroying or seriously damaging more than 80% of these ancient plants.
Iliana immediately set about helping local growers restore or replant - and found that, thanks to their deep roots, many of the old vines had miraculously survived. Remarkably, while yields are even lower than they were, these brilliant wines are back - and they are just as thrilling as they always were.
Iliana works with local growers farming native varieites (Vidiano, Thrapsathiri and Liatiko) organically and to her exact specifications. Most of the vineyards are steeply terraced and must be worked by hand. In the cellar, she uses skin contact, extended lees ageing, and an assortment of vessels to craft wines that are full of life and energy. These are endangered wines from rare vines, made by one of Greece’s brightest young winemaking talents.
