Dourakis Winery — Attraction in Municipality of Apokoronas

I visited the Dourakis Winey on Saturday, 22.11.24. My friends and me were a team of four, we booked a painting workshop accompanied with wine tasting, a winery tour and a dinner. The painting workshop was fun, I want to tell this apart from the winery experience. The painting workshop is organized and lead by not Dourakis winery team. The Dourakis winery team did not welcome us at all. We needed to figure out on our own where the paint workshop takes plays. The Dourakis team needed to be reminded a couple of times to finally start the wine tasting session, that was supposed to accompany the workshop. The wines have been introduced to us in such a harsch way, that I am struggling how to describe this. The wine glases were filled extremely precise, greedy. The winery tour was the highlight. The Dourakis guide, (that was the same serving us the wine for tasting) talked to us as superior master. In one situation a couple that explored the area dropped into the tour by accident. The Dourakis „guidesse“ was kicking them out with the words: „What are you searching here, this is by charge..“. So awkward to be whitness of this complete miss behavior. During the winery tour, the Dourakis „guidesse“ fineshed each station with the question: „Everything clear?“ Yes I would say for me everything is clear. The Dourakis winery is a disgrace for themselves and the winery culture. They showed the opposite of hospitality. The Dourakis winery is now branded in my head for never buying a wine from them. Obviously they missed to invest in their employees and the end customer. Only visit them if you want to learn how to not organize the events in your winery. Just for the sake of fairness the quality of the offered...

The tour at this winery is quite brief, primarily focusing on showcasing the barrels and providing a glimpse into the wine-making process. Lasting approximately 10 minutes, the tour is conducted in English, allowing visitors to understand the key aspects of wine production. Following the tour, guests are invited to a tasting room to sample the winery's offerings.

The white wines available for tasting are notable, displaying good quality and pleasing flavors. However, the red wines did not align with my personal taste preferences. It's worth noting that the staff expressed disappointment when we opted to pay by card instead of cash, displaying a rather pushy demeanor in their insistence on cash payment. Unfortunately, not all members of the staff exuded a welcoming attitude, which detracted from the overall experience.

We had expectations of partaking in an open cellar event, which was supposed to provide an opportunity to sample additional wines free of charge. Regrettably, we did not witness any such event taking place during our visit. Moreover, the winery lacks any notable scenic views in its surroundings, which may disappoint those seeking a more picturesque setting.

In summary, the tour at this winery is concise, offering glimpses into the wine-making process and providing a chance to taste their wines. While the white wines are commendable, the reds may not suit everyone's palate. The staff's insistence on cash payment and the lack of a warm welcome from some members were drawbacks. Additionally, the absence of the anticipated open cellar event and the lack of scenic views further detracted from...

We visited Dourakis Winery with high expectations, but unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing from start to finish. The place presents itself as elegant and prestigious, yet what we encountered was the exact opposite of professional hospitality.

From the moment we walked in, we were completely ignored. The staff seemed entirely focused on a German tour group, and it was as if independent visitors simply did not exist. Nobody welcomed us, nobody asked if we wanted to taste wines or even offered a glass of water. For a winery that claims to value guests, this behavior was rude and unacceptable.

Equally shocking was the condition of the parking lot. Instead of a paved surface that matches the image of a “high-class” winery, there is nothing but loose stones and dust. Anyone arriving with a sports car or a well-maintained vehicle should be prepared to leave with it dirty and scratched. This is not just inconvenient, it shows a complete lack of respect for visitors and their property.

In short, this winery cares only about big groups that bring easy money, while individual visitors are treated like a nuisance. The combination of arrogance, indifference, and poor facilities makes it very hard to recommend this place to anyone. There are plenty of wineries in Crete where you will be welcomed warmly and treated with respect — sadly, Dourakis is not...