For the past four years, we've featured our Island Series — a selection of wines produced from local grape varieties grown on the different islands of the Mediterranean Sea — and this year we are going to keep the ball rolling! These are the perfect wines to put you into a summer state of mind: just imagine guzzling glass after glass — on the deck, at the beach or by the pool — coupled with plates of the local delicacies and a warm, salty island breeze in the air. The best island wines can transport you to their origin, not only with their supreme drinkability, but also their unique ability to transmit that sense of place, that terroir.

This year, we begin on the Greek island of Crete, with a charming red wine made by the Lyrarakis family from the local Kotsifali grape. Lyrarakis is Crete's most celebrated producer, a dedicated family who specialize in making wines from the island's indigenous varietals. Their 100% Kotsifali is the perfect wine to kick off the summer season: light, bright and bursting at the seams with pure, unadulterated fruit. Put a slight chill on this bottle of red and take a sip while sitting in the sun — you can't help but relax and smile. I recommend some well seasoned lamb, vegetables, skewers, a grill, and a bottle of Lyrarakis' Kotsifali: the perfect pairing with summer!