Lyrarakis
Brought up in this environment, in 1966 the founders of the company decided to become professionally involved with the production of wine. The founding of the company was accompanied by planting some of the best local wine varieties, namely the white Vilana, and the reds Kotsifali and Mandilaria. The winery is situated in one of the most noteworthy vineyard regions of Crete, namely at Alagni, Heraklion, the most mountainous village of the appellation area (PGI) of PEZA.
The company started bottling wines under the Lyrarakis family brand in the early nineties. The first vintage of Lyrarakis was 1992. The winery is located at the northern side of the village of Alagni, while the vineyards surrounded on the hillsides.
Today, the company is managed by the second generation. The family vineyard is 35 acres of gravel soil on limestone and is situated on an average altitude of 1800 feet. Since the late eighties special attention has been paid to the rare Cretan varieties “Dafni” and “Plyto” that have been saved from extinction. Vilana, White Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc complement the range of white varieties, while our red varieties Kotsifali, Mandilari, and Black Muscat are complemented by the foreign varieties Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The company is recognized as the leading quality producer on the island, focusing on the use of native varieties. Lyrarakis wines have won numerous international awards and are exported in most of the European countries and abroad (USA & CANADA).