Over the millennia the Lefka Ori Mountains of Western Crete have absorbed the quiet lifecycle for thousands of the island’s native flora.

Walking these mountains in the spring is a sensory adventure filled with the scents of rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, and chamomile. In the fall, they descend back to the soil and are absorbed. The quiet lifecycle continues.

Our philosophy at the Manousakis Winery is just as simple. We believe in carefully and organically cultivating our vines to absorb this scent-filled terroir. The flavors of the grapes combine with the herbs for a truly unique taste. Each bottle of Nostos captures the character of this verdant island, and the slopes of the Lefka Ori.

The Manousakis Winery is the culmination of one man, its founder Theodore Manousakis. Ted, as he is more commonly called, was born in the village of Vatolakkos in 1943. He left his village eleven years later, into an unknown future.

America: The Promised Land. For an enterprising young man, the possibilities were endless. After university, Ted was successful in a number of business endeavors including industrial security, real estate development, and hospitality. But success came at a price: the near loss of his Cretan heritage.

The Return: Nostos is the yearning to come home. It propelled Ted to the land of his birth, and on a higher level than mere visitor. He wanted to give something back to the island that he loved. Wine was a way of life in the village and a memory from his boyhood. There was no better way to pay homage to those traditions and it brought people together to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Soil, sun, weather conditions and yearning converged to perfection. The Manousakis Winery was born and the first vineyards planted in 1993.