# Manousakis Winery

Activity company en Vatolakkos

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/companies/manousakis-winery

A family winery at Vatolakkos, at the foot of the White Mountains, with free guided tours of the winery and a tasting terrace among olive and orange trees where its wines are served with Cretan dishes.

## Who they are

The winery was founded by Ted Manousakis, born in 1943 in the same village of Vatolakkos, in Chania province. As a boy he emigrated to the United States and there built a career in industrial safety, real estate and hospitality. Then he returned to Crete to fulfil the idea of making wine in his homeland. The project began in 1984 and the first vines were planted in 1993. His youngest daughter, Alexandra, left New York in 2007 to settle in Crete and has since grown the winery. According to the house, production has gone from about 35,000 bottles a year to about 150,000. The family also runs three restaurants in Chania: Salis, Maiami Chania and AbLa.

## The wines

The vines cover about 13 hectares on the hills of Vatolakkos, between 350 and 650 m in altitude, on clay soils. They are worked plot by plot and almost all by hand. The winery says it has farmed organically from the start and speaks of regenerative agriculture, although the website does not cite a specific certification. The base varieties are syrah, grenache, mourvèdre and roussanne, chosen with a team of experts. The wines come out under the Nostos brand, a Greek word for the longing to return home, in memory of Ted's return. There are twelve labels, as well as tsikoudia, the island's pomace spirit.

## Visits and opening hours

The guided tour of the winery is free. It explains how the wine is made and the family's history. In season there are sessions at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00, depending on the month, and you can join any of them. The tasting takes place on a terrace among olive and orange trees, with the wines and Cretan dishes from the house kitchen. If you give notice beforehand, they adapt the food to special diets. The prices of the tasting and the wines are on the menu. The published schedule is this:

Until 10 October: Monday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 20:00.

From 12 October to 14 November: from 12:00 to 18:00.

Sundays: closed.

From 16 November 2026 to April 2027: visits and tastings by appointment only.

## Booking and extras

You must always book, and a single booking covers the tour, the tasting and the meal. If the online system shows no places, you must call +30 28210 78787 or write to info@manousakiswinery.com. With other companies, booked separately, the winery offers a transfer service and off-road routes through the vineyards, tasting dinners and a jewellery workshop. The website is in English and does not say in which languages the tours are given, nor does it set rules for children. By car, Vatolakkos is about 15 km southwest of Chania.

## What they run

- [Visit and tasting at the Manousakis winery, in Vatolakkos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/crete/chania/things-to-do/manousakis-winery-visit), in Chania. Winery Visit and Tasting on the Terrace. Free visit at 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 h depending on the season; the tasting and meal are paid from the menu. Closed on Sundays; in winter, by appointment

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

## Practical details

- Phone: +30 28210 78787

## Contact

- Web: https://www.manousakiswinery.com/
- Coordenadas: 35.468, 23.887