My wife and I had a wonderful experience with Areti during our stay in Crete. The wine tour took us to some beautiful vineyards with delicious and unique wines. Areti was full of information, and we learned a lot about wine making in Crete and the history of the island. We were celebrating our honeymoon, and it was the perfect day! I would highly recommend Areti and her wine tour to others!

Areti was absolutely amazing! She spent a lot of time with us discussing the wines and she was very knowledgeable. The tour was the perfect balance of learning and having fun at the perfect pace. We were able to try delicious food with our wine which made it all the more better! Thank you Areti!

Couldn't have asked for a better guide, Areti was lovely and made you feel as if you had known her for a long time! Very knowledgeable, certainly knows her stuff! 😁 the tour was excellent from start to finish, tasted alot of lovely wines and food, was also nice to walk around the little village Areti took us to and finish off with a cup of coffee/tea before heading back to our hotel. It was my partners 40th and Areti stopped off at this amazing bakery to get a birthday cake! Was like heaven in there 😍😆 Thank you for a great experience!

After enjoying many wonderful wine varieties throughout Greece we scheduled this tour while in Crete and this personalized adventure helped to expand our knowledge and appreciation for Greek wines. Our guide and Sommelier "Areti" was very informative and took us to two different wineries in center of Crete where we sampled several varieties and food pairings both generous and delicious that we would likely never have experienced anywhere else. The day was relaxed and never rushed and included a few stops to enjoy some of the local ancient history related to wine making and other points of interest and flora along the way. We understand there are other routes and wineries to enjoy and hope to see some more in 2024!

We had a wonderful day with Areti on our tour. We were travelling with our 11month old son and both Areti and the two vineyards were so accommodating of him and made sure he was looked after as well as both parents. Areti was friendly and very knowledgeable about all the wines we tried. Food was delicious and the day went so smoothly. Would 100%recommend and we were delighted to hear we were the first tour of the year. Thanks again!

Areti was absolutely wonderful!!! She was so knowledgeable, kind and it felt like we were touring the island with a close friend. The wineries were stunning and the wine was of the highest quality. Each tasting was curated for us and we loved each and every wine we tasted. We were honored to take tours of the cellar areas and where they held the barrels and were blown away by their faacilities. The tastings were the perfect pace to taste, savor, learn and enjoy and we had Cretan cheese, verju, and dinner!! I loved the restaurant and felt like a family friend as if we frequented the restaurant many times before. The weather was perfect- cool but sunny and clear and peaceful all around. I would absolutely do this tour 10 times over and recommend it to all my friends and family!

We had the most amazing time with Areti for my 30th birthday. She is so knowledgeable about Crete, the wines and history of the vineyards we visited. She made us feel extremely comfortable in asking questions and learning about what we were tasting. We spent half a day with Areti and it went by so so fast. I can’t thank her enough I felt absolutely spoilt on this wine tour. Everything was so perfect, the wines, the food and the service at both vineyards. Thank you so much Areti!

My partner and I had a PHENOMENAL time with Areti. What a tour, we expected it to be amazing but somehow it surpassed even those expectations: good music, good conversation, great wines, and additional amenities. And the history in between stops, wow. We loved every moment. We had a wonderful week in Crete but this was our highlight.

This was the best activity we did in Heraklion! The wine, food, and atmosphere are perfect and Areti is the best guide. Areti was also able to accommodate our dietary restrictions on short notice which was much appreciated. I can’t say enough good things about this experience; if you’re considering booking it— do it! It was worth every penny. Thank you, Areti!

I must admit that when we booked this tour , I was a little apprehensive about spending such an extended period of one on one time with a stranger …but as it turned out , we had more in common Areti than good wine and good food . She was such an authentic person . Easy to talk to and easy to spend time with . We learnt about Crete and Cretan wines . Her choice of wine farms and food pairing was outstanding. It was a memorable experience and if you like wine and nice people , I would highly recommend this excursion.

Areti is a fabulous guide with a great knowledge of Wine and she was also great fun to be with. We tasted some of the best Wines ever on her tour. Highly recommended.

We had high expectations of this tour as it sounded exactly our kind of experience - private, targeted at couples, including a decent amount of wine & food, and the gleaming reviews. We were not disappointed - in fact, our expectations were exceeded. Here's why... Soon after booking, and separately to the automated Viator confirmation, we received a direct message from Areti thanking us for our booking, and this included her contact details. A nice touch and made us feel extra reassured at this point. We also exchanged messages the day before the tour and received confirmation of pickup from our hotel (NEMA Design Hotel in Analipsi) and the precise time (a comfortable 10:15 start). After greeting us at the agreed spot, she whisked us away in the comfort and privacy of her own SUV (a Nissan Qashqai I believe). The drive to the first vineyard was about 30 minutes, and we learned some interesting facts along the way. After a while, some nice music was played, and we were offered the opportunity to choose different music if we preferred, but it was just right. We arrived at Digenakis winery, and were the only guests at that time (private indeed)! Areti grabbed us a bunch of grapes each from the crates outside, and we headed inside and were handed over to the staff. We were then given a short guided tour of the winery (whilst snacking on the grapes) before being seated and handed back to Areti at our table for 3 in the window, looking out over the beautiful countryside. A plate of breadsticks, cheeses, and meats was then presented, and the wines brought out one at a time by the staff. With each wine, Areti introduced the grape variety, described the nose & tasting notes, advised which of the snacks to pair it with, and made recommendations of the types of food it goes well with. There were also several fun stories as we got to know Areti more and discovered her fun sense of humour. This was starting to feel more like a day out with a friend than a formal guided tour. This made us feel very relaxed. After all the tastings (the pours were sensible but they do add up), we had the opportunity to buy any of the wines we'd tried. We opted for 3 different bottles, and paid by card. We were offered the chance to pay by cash in exchange for a 10% discount, but had taken limited cash. But it's worth other travelers knowing this for making a small saving. The wines were very affordable however, particularly for the quality. We asked for extra bags as we will need to wrap the bottles carefully for flying home. We were then driven up into the hills to visit the remains of an ancient wine press. This included a couple of minutes of off-road driving, but luckily we had a super-comfy SUV. There was then a few minutes walk over rough terrain to reach the site, so wear comfortable shoes as advised. This was a short but fascinating stop. We also got to pick and smell herbs growing in the wild, and observe the beautiful landscape. Just a few minutes drive away was our second winery visit. Areti thoughtfully found a parking spot in the shade to protect our purchases from heating up in the 31'c sun. The Lyrarakis winery is far bigger than Digenakis, and naturally there were more visitors here, but it didn't feel like many people, and our visit was still respected as private. Areti provided the short tour this time, showcasing their barrels, vintage bottles, and press. Before the main event... more tastings and food! We were led outside to a semi-covered area, where we had our own private table, right at the edge of the vineyard with a totally unobstructed view. It was beautiful, and so peaceful too. The other 4 or 5 tables of guests had no impact on our privacy at all. As before, each wine was brought out one at a time, but this time, each was paired with a lunch course, and the pours were very generous - a half to a full glass in some cases! The food was delightful, with highlights including Stuffed Courgette Flowers, Pitakia (Cretan Pie), Smoked Pork, and Honey & Cheese Pancakes. The whole dining experience was completely sumptuous, all while chatting and laughing with Areti, and we even got to pet the winery's resident dog, Daphne. We ended the visit as before with a stop in the shop, where we bought another 3 bottles (again at good prices), before we headed back to the car. The fun conversations with Areti continued on the way back and, having discovered similar musical tastes during lunch, she played music she knew we'd enjoy. Back at the hotel, we all hugged before heading off, it was like saying goodbye to a friend we'd known for much longer. From end to end, this was an exceptional tour, with expert knowledge, generous wine pourings, delectable food, beautiful surroundings, and excellent company. All of this justifies the price entirely. This was the absolute highlight of our stay in Crete. If you're reading this to help decide if this tour is for you, just book now, you won't regret it! Thank you Areti, it was a pleasure. Love Paul & Rich xx

This is a must do when in Crete. Areti guided us through her country, culture, incredible wines and amazing Greek food! Well worth the price of the tour.

We had an amazing trip touring Crete's wine region with an informative and warm guide, Areti. She picked us up from our hotel in Heraklion and took us to a village where we stopped at a bakery for a local treat. We visited an ancient wine press...and we were rewarded with amazing views of Crete! Our first winery stop was Digenakis Winery where we had a private tour of the bottling room/facilities. Areti walked us through each wine with detailed descriptions and food pairings to complement the wines. Our next stop was Lyrakis Winery which had a large vineyard and great views. Areti had us set up in a private cellar area where we had a wine/food tasting menu that she highlighted with history and thoughtful descriptions. She was kind of enough to treat us to a few glasses of our favorite wines from the tasting :) We highly recommend Areti's tour, it was definitely a highlight of an amazing trip to Greece!! Areti has an encyclopedic knowledge of the wines and region, she was thorough in all of her explanations!

Areti is very knowledgeable and proud of Crete and it’s amazing wines! Tasted lots of wines and delicious food!

The day started with Areti picking us up at our hotel, near the city center. This is important, because driving in Heraklion is not wise for tourists. We first drove out of the city to Digenakis, a relatively new winery, but with very nice wines. Areti is a level three Sommelier, which means she has a vast experience, and is very good at educating about the different wines. We sampled several local wines there with some cheeses She then showed us a medieval wine press on the hillside, On our way to the Lyrarakis winery where we had a beautiful lunch, overlooking their vineyards, along with sampling many of their wines, which were exceptional. If you are looking for a wine tour in the Heraklion area, I highly recommend this one.

Before booking our tour, we reached out to Areti to schedule a personalized tour based on our specific requests (4 boutique wineries focused on local Cretan grapes that would happily accommodate our six year old). She created THE PERFECT experience for us with incredible wines, wonderful tasting experiences at each winery, amazing food and a very happy daughter at the end of the tour that was never bored and felt included. We have taken wine tours around the word and this was our FAVORITE so far. We were blown away by her local knowledge and her ability to really tailor each tasting to our specific palettes - changing the wines offered after our hearing us describe what we enjoyed at the first winery. When a snafu happened with shipping our wines the day after our event, Areti went out of her way (multiple phone calls and driving to see us!) to make it right - providing unbelievable customer service. If you're looking for a fun filled day, reach out and book with Areti. We can't wait to go back!

Areti was a wonderful host! She provided a wealth of information about every single one of the wines we tasted. She made sure that we had a unique and personable experience; it did not feel like your typical tourist activity. She went above and beyond and provided a wealth of information about Crete’s ancient history and the history of the wine making on the island. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

We had the most wonderful day learning about Cretan wine with Areti! She is incredibly knowledgeable and so much fun - the whole experience was one of the highlights of our holiday. Areti made this the best wine tour we have ever been on by taking the time to explain how to taste the varieties and identify what we liked about the wine. She went above and beyond to share with us elements of the Cretan culture and show us some beautiful locations. It was incredible value for money. Thank you, Areti!

This private tour is a must for those who want to discover Cretan wines, and who want to get that little extra out of an experience. The guide Areti is incredibly knowledgeable and a very nice person, who fulfilled all our wishes. Before the trip we didn't really know what to expect but it turned out to be the best part of our entire holiday in Crete and sparked a new interest in Greek wines.