Crete has been making wine for a long time. A Minoan wine press dates to around 1580 BCE, and remains in Minoan palaces point to large-scale wine production and storage about 3,500 years ago. Today, PGI Crete covers Lasithi, Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania.
Vineyards range from coastal sites to higher ground at 500 to 800 metres. Hot, dry summers, sea breezes and cooler mountain locations sit alongside major differences in soil, elevation and local climate. Crete is not a single wine environment.
Vilana and Vidiano are the leading white grapes, while Liatiko, Mandilaria and Kotsifali lead the red plantings. Vilana is usually light and fresh. Vidiano brings citrus and stone-fruit aromas with more texture, while Kotsifali adds soft fruit and warmth to reds and Mandilaria contributes tannin and structure. The island also makes rosé and sweet wines. Its named PDO areas include Sitia, Peza, Archanes, Dafnes, the two Malvasia designations and Handakas-Candia.
Inside the region
7 named areas
Each guide keeps its place within Crete clear, with a direct route back to the map.
- 01ArchanesNo producers listed yetIn Crete's Archanes PDO area, Kotsifali and Mandilari form the basis of red wines.
- 02Chandakas - CandiaNo producers listed yetChandakas - Candia is part of Crete's wine region.
- 03Dafnes2 producersDafnes is a Cretan PDO zone centred on Liatiko, with dry and sweet red wines.
- 04Malvasia Chandakas-CandiaNo producers listed yetMalvasia Chandakas-Candia sits within Crete's wine region. Malvasia of Crete is being revived as a naturally sweet wine from sun-dried grapes.
- 05Malvasia SiteiasNo producers listed yetMalvasia Siteias is part of Crete's wine region. The wider Malvasia revival on the island focuses on naturally sweet wines made from sun-dried grapes.
- 06Peza1 producerPeza pairs white Vilana with red wines based on Kotsifali and Mandilari.
- 07SitiaNo producers listed yetSitia's red clay and schist soils, along with dry, windy conditions, are associated with dense, succulent wines. A local Liatiko-Mandilari can be nutty, fleshy and tannic, with dried-fruit notes.
Producer profiles
Producer profiles
Open the full directory when you want every producer currently placed in Crete.
- Dourakis WineryFamily winery in Alikampos making orange Romeiko and dry Cretan whites from organic and regenerative vineyards.
- Lyrarakis WinesLyrarakis Wines pairs indigenous Cretan grapes with estate bottling and Micro Batch experiments in Alagni.
- Manousakis WineryManousakis Winery farms clay-rich hills outside Vatolakkos and makes the Nostos range in Chania, Crete.