Almost as soon as you set foot on the southern Mediterranean island of Crete the poignant smell of oregano, wild flowers and wild teas tickles your senses while the rugged landscape will boggle the mind.

Known for their rebellious and vigorous spirit, Cretans are not only a product of the past but also of their immediate environment as the island's rich culinary history shows.

Freshly pressed olive oil from the mountainous villages near the Venetian port city of Hania, fish, vegetables, grains, honey, yoghurt and over 150 varieties of wild greens dotting the numerous valleys have been a way of life here for thousands of years.

In fact, the modern reference to healthy eating known as "the Mediterranean diet" is based on the Cretan diet which explains why residents enjoy a standard of health that is among the highest in the world. They have among the lowest mortality rates internationally and fewer heart attacks as well as cancer related diseases.

Blessed with a climate that combines long hot summers with mild winters, its rich forests of eucalyptus and cedar are home to fresh water springs and form an ideal terrain for goats, sheep and snails. Aromatic orange and lemon groves are abundant throughout the island as are fig, almond and walnut trees.

While typical Cretan fare is often very simple with appetizers and dishes like rusks, honey and cheese pies from the sleepy coastal fishing village of Sfakia, it can also be quite lavish with stuffed vine leaves, rabbit casserole cooked with red wine, cloves and cinnamon found in the various villages of the White Mountains in western Crete.

Strolling through the tiny hamlets that dot the barren and rocky peninsula, locals in the towns of Gramvousa and Kolimbari often dine on stifado, a slow-braised, spiced ragout of meat, tomatoes and onions and bask in the sweetness of such delicacies such as honey cakes and cheese pies.

While olive oil, whole grains and fish are part of the island's culinary history, it is the island's wine which completes the composition of the Mediterranean diet.

Cretans first became wine producers during the Minoan period in the third millennium BC. The Minoans, who built a palace at Knossos made diluted wine their staple drink and shipped it to the Aegean islands, Asia Minor and the Middle East.

In the beginning, grapes were limited to the red wine varieties of Romeiko from Hania, Kotsifali from the city of Hraklion, Liatiko from Sitia. But in recent years, grapes have expanded to include a wide range of other imported varieties, such as Syrah, Mandilaria, Grenache Rouge and Sylvaner.

Crete's wine industry has been organised into three areas, each of which is centred in a big city. While the region around Hania is known for its simple country wines, Iraklion is a vast region where many of the island's best wines are made by the Boutari family and the Lyrarakis company.

While commonly working with Kotsafali and Vilana grapes on the family vineyard that spans area of 70,000 square metres, the Lyrarakis group has also tried to rescue two Cretan grape varieties which that were heading for extinction, Daphni and Plyto while also experimenting with Mandeleriam Grenache Rouge, Merlot, cabernet Sauvignon, Sylvaner and Syrah.

In the eastern region of Sitia, vineyards produce mostly Liatiko and Vilana grapes but in recent years winegrowers such as the co-op Sitia have tried their hands to produce Assyrtiko, Muscat and Plyto.