Manousakis WineryCrete, GreeceThe philosophy of the Manousakis Winery is simple. They believe in carefully and organically cultivating the vines to absorb the terroir. Each bottle of Nostos Wines captures the character of this verdant island, and the slopes of the Lefka Ori Mountains of Western Crete. Ted Manousakis planted the first vineyard in 1993 with the principle that organic farming was the only way to show respect for nature and the environment. In 2007, his daughter Alexandra Manousakis began taking over the winery. At the time they were producing around 35,000 bottles of wine per year. Today the Manousakis Winery produces 150,000 bottles of wine yearly. They work with Cretan varietals like Romeiko and Vidiano but are international renowned for their wines of Rhone varietals.The vineyards are situated on the hills just outside the village of Vatolakkos where the soils are predominantly rich in clay and argil, ideal for limited plant growth but great for good soil wringing. Since 1993, the Manousakis Winery has been planting vineyards at elevations of 350 meters (1200 ft) to 650 meters (2100 ft) above sea level, on 13 hectares (32 acres) of rough terrain. To thier satisfaction, the chosen varieties have thrived and have done exceptionally well in their environment, achieving great balance in the vineyard and finding a comfortable home in Crete.
