Minos – Miliarakis Winery

MINOS winery is in its eighth decade, crafting wines at its Peza facility in Crete from local grape varieties — Kotsifali and Mandilari for reds, and Vilana, Vidiano, and Thrapsathiri for whites. A portion of red wine production ages in French oak barrels stored underground at ideal temperature and humidity.

MINOS promotes Cretan viticulture and its indigenous varieties through innovative methods: white wine from the red Kotsifali grape, barrel-aged Vilana (Vilana Fume), and the reintroduction of white Malvasia in 2004. The range also includes Roussanne, Grenache Rouge, Syrah, and Mourvedre.

MINOS operates 20 hectares of privately owned and contract vineyards, producing 300,000–350,000 bottles annually — 70% consumed on Crete, 10% traded throughout Greece, and 20% exported to Canada, the Netherlands, Serbia, Sweden, Denmark, Cyprus, and China.

The family-owned company is led by 3rd-generation member Takis Miliarakis alongside 4th-generation Nikos Miliarakis and Maria Miliaraki.

At the restored historic winery in Peza — named “Sifis Miliarakis” — visitors explore four levels across 900 m². A museum displays ancient wine presses and bottling equipment. Historic photographs include one featuring Apollo spacecraft astronauts with MINOS wines.

A projection room seating 200 screens a 20-minute film on the history of wine, olive oil, and tsikoudia in Crete. A wine-tasting room seats 145; a second tasting room with handmade tables from old winery machinery seats 55. The retail shop offers traditional Cretan products including olive oil, olive soap, spices, honey, and local herbs.

Winery Tour and Wine Tasting

• Historic Winery Tour: Explore one of Crete’s oldest wineries and learn about eight decades of dedication to indigenous Cretan grape varieties
• Cretan Varieties Masterclass: Discover the full spectrum of Crete’s indigenous red and white varieties and understand what makes each one unique
• Wine Tasting: Taste Minos’s carefully crafted wines made from Cretan indigenous varieties — a true expression of the island’s viticultural soul