winery

Alexakis Winery

Crete, Greece

Philosophy

Contract-farming with island growers; tank fermentation with sur lie aging for whites. Work begins in the field, grouping vineyards by terroir—variety, weather, altitude, orientation. Pursuit of mineral tension and old-vine character through high-elevation Cretan indigenous varieties.

Reputation

Established in the 1970s by Stelios Alexakis, a chemical engineer and oenologist, and his wife Sofia, Alexakis is the largest private winery on Crete. The house draws on decades of relationships with island growers, particularly in the Heraklion region, leveraging profound knowledge of Cretan terroir and indigenous varieties to articulate the ancient vineyard traditions of the Southern Aegean.

AllocationFounded year listed as 1970s across sources; confirmed as 1970 by most consistent reference. No formal organic or biodynamic certification identified in search results—farming practice marked conventional despite contract-grower model. Appellation confirmed as PGI Crete (Protected Geographical Indication) via Skurnik listing. Production volume unknown; storage capacity 16 million liters indicates large commercial scale. No UK/Japan importers identified; US distribution via multiple wholesalers (Skurnik, Diamond, Prestige Ledroit noted). Second-generation ownership active; succession ongoing but family-controlled. Lazaros educated at University of Florence, Apostolos at UC Fresno—both oenologists. Winery website available in Greek and English. Sources relatively consistent 2018–2025; aged references from 2018 suggest stable operations and family structure. Successor names spelled variously as Apostoli/Apostolos and Lazaros consistently.

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