Ktima Krites, Gournes
Ktima Krites sits at 300 Old National Road Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos, Gournes 715 00, on the old road between the two cities. Its listing describes a dedicated reception area, a traditional taverna, and a children's playground, arranged for social events from weddings and baptisms to parties and gatherings. The venue says it operates Friday to Sunday, 11:00 to 22:00, and is closed Monday through Thursday. Ask whether a Friday setup can start before the listed opening time. Best for: family celebrations that need a playground and an easy drive from either city.
Metaxakis Winery, Orthés
Metaxakis Winery is in Orthés 740 52 and produces red, white, and rosé wines, according to its listing. The estate includes vineyards and welcomes visitors for tastings and events, with bookings available for visits and for private gatherings. It says it is open to the public on weekdays and Saturdays. The listing frames the experience around wine culture and local winemaking traditions. Ask how much of the estate a private booking can use, and whether the tasting room or the vineyard is the default event space. Best for: weekday corporate gatherings and tastings that want a working winery, not a decorated hall.
The Secret Gorge, Rethymno
The Secret Gorge, at 3rd Klm. National Road, Municipality of Rethymno 741 50, is a restaurant and wine tasting venue with a balcony over a Cretan gorge. Its listing describes an evening of a 9-course feast with a 12-part wine and spirits tasting, traditional Cretan dishes, and a shared table. The venue also says it functions as a wine cellar and winery, and it has hosted celebrations such as a 40th birthday. Ask how a private booking interacts with the shared-table format if you want a seated group. Best for: milestone dinners where the food and tasting sequence is the event.
Zacharioudakis Estate, Plouti
Zacharioudakis Estate is a winery and attraction in Plouti 704 00, Heraklion, with the chapel of Panagia on the grounds and countryside views toward the Messara plain, the Libyan Sea, and the Psiloritis mountain range, as its listing describes. For events it offers a reception hall for up to 300 guests and a projection room for up to 80 people with audiovisual equipment. Its chef prepares Greek and international cuisine paired with wines from the organically cultivated estate. Ask whether the chapel can be used for a ceremony and who confirms that arrangement. Best for: large receptions and business meetings that need a projection room.
Dourakis Winery, Alikampos
Dourakis Winery is a boutique winery in Alikampos 730 07, which its listing places about a 20-minute drive from Rethymno and 30 minutes from Chania. The winery operates year-round with tours and tastings, and it includes a restaurant, a wine bar, and a wedding hall alongside its vineyards. Its listing describes experiencing the winemaking process in a traditional village setting. Ask which spaces are included in a wedding booking and whether the restaurant stays open to other guests. Best for: couples who want the ceremony, dinner, and wine bar in one village address.
Klados Winery, Panormos
Klados Winery is in Panormos 740 57 and welcomes visitors for guided tastings and events on its premises, according to its listing. Tasting sessions run under the pergola, with options such as six wines, eight wines, and wine paired with cheese or cold cuts. The winery says it hosts private events and that its team assists with event organization. Opening hours run 11:00 to 20:00 Monday through Saturday, and it is closed on Sundays. Ask what the team's event assistance covers in practice. Best for: pergola tastings and private events where the winery's own team helps with the organisation.
OinoKritika, Chania
OinoKritika is at Daskalogianni 70, Chania 731 32, in the city itself. Its listing describes a meeting point for wine enthusiasts, hosting presentations and tastings of Cretan wines, including a springtime wine event at the start of the tourist season that welcomes visitors from abroad and Greeks from the mainland. It says the focus is Cretan wine culture, with gatherings and tastings in the heart of Chania. Ask about access for deliveries and setup, given the city-centre address. Best for: city-based tastings, presentations, and exhibition-style wine events.
Reveli Estate, Kampani
Reveli Estate is a wedding venue and fairground on Pantzelioudaki 2nd Road, Kampani 731 00, near Chania. Its listing describes a private estate designed for gatherings, combining the functions of a wedding venue and a fairground for formal and festive occasions. The listing places it among event estates, wineries, vineyards, gardens, and estates with a chapel. It directs interested parties to contact the venue directly for specifics on facilities and services. Ask exactly which of those venue types apply to your date and what is included. Best for: weddings that want a private estate with room for both ceremony and celebration.
How to choose among them
| Venue | Area | What the listing describes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ktima Krites | Gournes, old national road | Reception area, taverna, playground; Friday to Sunday only | Family celebrations with children |
| Metaxakis Winery | Orthés | Working winery, vineyards, weekday and Saturday visits | Weekday tastings and corporate gatherings |
| The Secret Gorge | Rethymno | Gorge balcony, 9-course feast, 12-part tasting | Milestone dinners built around food and wine |
| Zacharioudakis Estate | Plouti, Heraklion | Reception hall up to 300, projection room up to 80, chapel | Large receptions and business meetings |
| Dourakis Winery | Alikampos | Winery, restaurant, wine bar, wedding hall, year-round | Ceremony plus dinner in one place |
| Klados Winery | Panormos | Pergola tastings, private events, team assistance | Pergola tastings with team support |
| OinoKritika | Chania city | Presentations and tastings of Cretan wines | City-centre tastings and presentations |
| Reveli Estate | Kampani, Chania | Wedding venue and fairground on a private estate | Weddings needing formal and festive space |
Before you shortlist, run this checklist. First, match the day of week to the venue: Ktima Krites closes Monday through Thursday and Klados closes Sundays, so your date may rule out a venue before anything else does. Second, decide whether you need a working production floor or a dressed event space, because a working winery may keep touring and tasting alongside your setup. Third, ask each venue which spaces are exclusively yours and for how long. Fourth, ask what the venue supplies for food and drink and what you must bring in. Fifth, for anything touching ceremony arrangements, permits, or local rules, confirm current requirements with the competent authority, whether that is the municipality, the parish, or the venue itself.
Where these venues sit on the island
Crete is large enough that the airport side decides your shortlist. On the Heraklion side, the listings place Ktima Krites on the old road to Agios Nikolaos and Zacharioudakis Estate in Plouti. Around Chania sit OinoKritika in the city and Reveli Estate in Kampani, while Dourakis Winery describes itself as about 20 minutes from Rethymno and 30 from Chania, and The Secret Gorge is in the Municipality of Rethymno. Put Metaxakis Winery in Orthés and Klados Winery in Panormos on a map against your arrival airport before you decide. Our Crete destination page sets out the island the way we think about it for events, by region rather than by venue count.
A winery booking is also a production problem. You are moving tables, sound, and catering into a working agricultural site, and the day has to run in sequence around tastings and tours. Our guide to planning a winery event as a production day walks through that build-up.
If your group is flying in for business rather than celebration, the airport choice matters even more than the venue. Our notes on Crete corporate retreats and which airport side to pick explain why we start there.
Send us your headcount, your date, and a short brief on the kind of evening you want, and we will pass the details to the wineries whose listings fit.
Planning questions
How do I choose between a working winery and a dressed event estate?
A working winery may run tours and tastings during your setup, while a dedicated estate gives you the whole site. Decide which you want first, then check opening days, because some venues here are closed on certain days of the week.
Can any of these wineries host a wedding and a reception in one place?
Some listings describe a wedding hall, a chapel, or a private estate, but the details vary by venue. Ask each one which spaces are included and confirm anything touching ceremony arrangements with the competent local authority.
What should I ask a winery before booking an event there?
Ask which spaces are exclusively yours and for how long, what the venue supplies for food and drink, how your setup fits around normal tours, and whether your preferred day falls inside its published opening days.
