A 12.5 percent Syrah from Crete sounds like a contradiction. On an island where the sun bakes year-round you would expect a fat, jammy red north of 14 percent. The glass says the opposite. Young, ripe red fruit, strawberry and raspberry, a touch of plum, juice instead of syrup. Drakos Garakis picked early and chose lower alcohol on purpose.
For Sparks episode 23 we jumped straight from the earlier conversation with Lo from Dutch importer Delicata over to Drosos himself. Four bottles on the table: a Lagada blend of Vidiano and Muscat of Spinas, an Acrobat Vidiano from 600 meters of altitude, a pure Muscat of Spinas, and that Syrah.
Who is Drakos Garakis
Garakis is a family operation in Kounavoi, a village some 20 kilometers south of Heraklion. The father started a raki distillery 25 years ago. Since 2022 Drosos and his brother also make wine on the same estate.
Both studied Greek philosophy. The vineyards had always been in the family, generations deep, and at some point the land pulled harder than the books. Three years in, the labels are on the market. The first vintage was 3,000 bottles. The 2024 vintage is around 13,000. The vineyards could hold 50,000 to 70,000 bottles, but Drosos prefers step by step. Style and quality first, scale later.
The vineyards: Lagada and Acrobat
Most of the planting sits around Kounavoi at roughly 400 meters altitude. Those wines bottle under the Lagada name. Lagada literally means “place with many vineyards”, which is exactly what the area is. Lagada wines wear a quiet, minimalist label.
Further out, at 600 meters of altitude, sits the Mandilari vineyard. Steep, hard to reach, you almost have to climb in like an acrobat. The high-altitude wines wear the Acrobat label and stand clearly apart in the range.
The soil is white limestone, fine and chalky. Add the constant sea breeze, since Crete is an island and the water is never far. Both signal themselves in the glass as a salty, mineral underlayer.
The grapes: indigenous Cretan
Garakis works mostly with grapes that Crete still has in real concentration.
- Vidiano: white, originally from the Rethymno area, round and complex without the buttery weight of a Chardonnay
- Muscat of Spinas: aromatic white with a thin skin, sun-burn sensitive, needs shade
- Mandilari: black grape, also found on Paros and occasionally Santorini, but the standard red on Crete
- Romeiko (Roachi): rare Cretan white that Drosos is currently experimenting with
There is also Syrah. That is where the surprise comes in.
Tasting four bottles
Lagada blend (90 percent Vidiano, 10 percent Muscat) 2023, 13.9 percent
Two hours decanted, then chilled back down in the bottle. The wine opens on a salty sea breeze with tropical fruit, acacia blossom and a faint vanilla edge underneath. Aromatic without going over the top.
In the mouth round, layered, accessibly complex. Nothing showing off. A long, warm finish you stay in. Drosos uses fine lees and bâtonnage for body, no oak. The Muscat portion is cool tank-fermented to keep the aromatics intact.
Acrobat Vidiano (600 m), 30 percent oak
Darker color than the Lagada thanks to two days of cool skin contact. Not an orange wine, no aggressive tannin. Just more extract, more body, more spice.
Citrus on the nose, lemon zest, apricot, peach, plus Greek thyme and a hint of honey blossom. Round in the mouth without ever turning thick. 30 percent went to second-fill French oak for two months. Not for the oak signature, but for structure. Works beautifully with Greek food, but also with grilled zucchini or a salad with anchovies.
Lagada Muscat of Spinas (100 percent), 2023
Lighter color than the blend. Direct Muscat aromatics: green and red apple, white blossom, vanilla cookie. Classic white vinification on tank, low temperature, no skin contact. A Muscat that does not end up as a floral aperitif, but takes on enough body to sit at the table.
Drosos is actively pulling Muscat toward the plate instead of the summer terrace. Older vines on this parcel help. Body and clean fruit are the targets.
Lagada Syrah, 12.5 percent
Here is the title of the episode. Four days of skin contact, low temperature, second-fill barrel for body, no oak signature. Picked early to keep alcohol low and aromatics fresh.
The result is young red fruit. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, a thread of plum. No jam. Fine lees with bâtonnage for body, no malolactic conversion (Drosos reserves that for the Mandilari). Served at 12 to 13°C, drinkable into the summer. Drosos thinks red wine on a Cretan summer day only works at lower temperatures, and that means the wine itself has to come in lighter from the start.
Style and approach
Garakis has cultivated organically for 24 years. Certification in Greece is administratively heavy and is now in motion. Official organic or Demeter status is expected within roughly a year.
For sun protection Drosos uses two training systems that fit Crete well:
- Pergola (overhead canopy) for thin-skinned grapes like Muscat of Spinas. The leaf roof shades the fruit.
- Gobelet (classic bush vine) for sturdier varieties. The bush forms its own shade, like a small natural cave.
With rising temperatures and shorter, heavier rain bursts, these are the working answers for now. Planting higher is an option, but land rights and water on Crete do not scale infinitely.
Frequently asked questions
Which indigenous Cretan grapes does Garakis use? Vidiano, Muscat of Spinas, Mandilari (red) and Romeiko / Roachi. All local, with Mandilari also found on Paros and occasionally Santorini.
Why is the Garakis Syrah only 12.5 percent? Early picking and gentle extraction. The goal is a fresh, juicy red that drinks well even in Cretan summer heat, instead of a stacked, jammy style.
Is Garakis organic or biodynamic? The estate has been farmed organically for 24 years without a formal label. Certification is in preparation and expected within roughly a year.
What does “Acrobat” mean on the label? The vineyard for that cuvée sits at around 600 meters of altitude outside Lagada. The terrain is steep and hard to access, hence Acrobat.
The bottles in this episode
Lagada Vidiano + Muscat of Spinas blend (2023). 90 percent Vidiano, 10 percent Muscat. Aromatic, round, complex. 13.9 percent.
Acrobat Vidiano (600 m). 100 percent Vidiano from altitude, 30 percent on second-fill French oak for two months, two days of skin contact. Body and spice.
Lagada Muscat of Spinas (2023). 100 percent Muscat. Cool tank vinification, fresh, gastronomic instead of summery.
Lagada Syrah, 12.5 percent. Early pick, four days of skin contact, second-fill oak. Juicy red fruit, drinkable cool.
Plus a Mandilari pet-nat (sold out) and a Mandilari rosé in the works.
Buying in the Netherlands
Garakis is exclusively imported into the Netherlands by delicata.nl. The importer met Drosos two years ago, and the wines are now available in much of the Dutch fine-dining circuit through that channel.
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