Enjoy a Unique Tasting Experience at Alexakis Winery

Alexakis Winery is a family business. It was founded in the 1970s by Stelios Alexakis, a Chemical Engineer-Oenologist, and Sofia Alexaki. From its early days, the winery has remained a true family endeavour, now continued by their sons, Lazaros and Apostolos Alexakis, both trained oenologists — Lazaros at the University of Florence and Apostolos at California State University, Fresno — who are actively involved in production, marketing and the winery’s ongoing evolution.

Alexakis Winery is the largest private winery in Crete, equipped with modern facilities and significant production capacity. The company not only produces its own acclaimed label wines but also services other leading Greek wine producers, with a storage capacity of up to 16 million litres.

For decades, the winery has been collaborating with grape growers across Crete, especially in the Heraklion region, on a contract-farming basis, building long-term relationships and gaining deep knowledge of the island’s viticultural diversity. This close engagement with growers and terroir enables Alexakis to select vineyards with distinct character for each grape variety vinified, including indigenous Cretan varietals such as Vidiano, Vilana, Kotsifali, Mandilari, Assyrtiko and more.

Winery Tour and Wine Tasting

• Structured Wine Tasting: Participate in a 90-minute guided tasting of the full Alexakis range, progressing through whites, rosés, and reds with expert commentary
• Cretan Variety Education: Learn to identify and appreciate the flavour profiles of indigenous Cretan grape varieties through systematic comparison and professional guidance
• Food Pairing: Discover how Alexakis wines pair with traditional Cretan cuisine through a curated selection of local food accompaniments

Alexakis wines have earned recognition both in Greece and internationally, with exports to markets such as the United States, Russia, and China, where the winery supplies both under its own label and through private-label arrangements.

Beyond winemaking, the estate also offers wine tours, tastings and educational programmes, welcoming visitors by arrangement and promoting Cretan wine culture under its motto “Celebrating Crete!”.