Crete Wine Tours
Crete has made wine for four thousand years, and its comeback is built on native grapes grown nowhere else: the aromatic white Vidiano, the crisp Vilana and Dafni, and the ancient reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, tasted in the hill wineries above Heraklion. Compare the top-rated Crete wine tours below, then read our notes.
Crete wine tours and tastings
Wine and Knossos day trips
Formats: half-day winery tours from Heraklion into the Archanes and Peza wine country with two or three estates; wine-and-olive-oil days; combined Knossos-and-wine trips; wine tastings with a Cretan lunch.
What you taste: the whites Vidiano, Vilana, Dafni and Assyrtiko, and the reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, from the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes appellations, with local cheese and oil.
Price: roughly 50 to 80 dollars for a winery tour and tasting; 90 to 140 for a full day with two or three estates and lunch.
Native grapes and an ancient tradition
Crete was making wine in Minoan times — the palace of Knossos had its cellars — and the modern island has revived its indigenous grapes rather than chasing international ones. The white Vidiano, aromatic and full, is the star of the comeback; Vilana and Dafni are the crisp, herbal whites; and the reds are the old varieties Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, often blended for perfume and structure. Assyrtiko grows well here too.
The wine country above Heraklion
Most visitable wineries are in the hills south of Heraklion, in the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes appellations, twenty to forty minutes from the city among vineyards and olive groves. A tour visits two or three estates, tastes across the native grapes, and usually adds the island’s olive oil and cheese; several combine the wine with the Minoan palace of Knossos nearby.
How to visit
Base in or near Heraklion and take a half- or full-day tour with a driver so you can taste freely; the estates are close together. Harvest is August into September. Pair the wine with a Crete food tour and the island’s cooking classes for the full table.
Frequently asked questions
What wine is Crete known for?
Native grapes: the aromatic white Vidiano above all, the crisp Vilana and Dafni, and the ancient reds Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilaria, from the hills above Heraklion.
Where are the Crete wineries?
Mostly in the Peza, Archanes and Dafnes areas south of Heraklion, twenty to forty minutes from the city, often combined with the palace of Knossos.
Can I combine wine with Knossos?
Yes; several tours pair the Minoan palace of Knossos with the nearby Archanes and Peza wineries in one day.
Read next: The Cretan diet: what to eat and where
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.