Konstantinos Lazarakis MW was born in Piraeus. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the National & Technical University of Athens and Jazz Music at the Aeolian School of Music.

In 2002 – at the age of 32 – he became the first Master of Wine from Greece and the broader region of Southern Europe, entering a prestigious circle of acclaimed influencers and game-changers in the global wine and spirits industry.

In addition to his MW Title, Konstantinos also achieved two awards given to those who stand out for their excellence during the highly demanding MW exams: The “Bollinger Medal” for excellence in blind wine tasting and the “Villa Maria Award” for outstanding performance in the Viticulture examination. He was the 13th expert in the history of the Institute of Masters of Wine to receive these awards.

In 2004, Konstantinos founded WSPC®, the Greek subsidiary of the most influential educational organization in wines and spirits in the world, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust of London (WSET®). In 2009 WSPC® won the Riedel Award/ WSET® Educator of the Year, being recognized as the best WSET branch in the world, distinguished among 34 countries.

In 2005, Konstantinos Lazarakis MW's book "The Wines of Greece" was published by the British publishing house Mitchell Beazley. "The Wines of Greece" was nominated among the top 4 for the "Andre Simon Memorial Award 2006." In 2018, the updated edition of his book, "The Wines of Greece," was released by the publishing house "Infinite Ideas."

The MW community recognized his efforts and rewarded his vision for continuous wine education by honoring him with the 'Noval Award' as “the MW Communicator of the Year 2006”.

Konstantinos Lazarakis has served as a member of the Council of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) for nine years, and as Chair of the Trips Committee for nine years.

In 2012, he was honored by the Austrian Wine Academy with the title of "Honorary Weinakademiker," making him an Honorary Member, for his contribution to the field of Wine Education. He was the 13th person to be honored in this way.

Additionally, he holds the titles of "Fine & Rare Wine Specialist" and "Diplôme D’Honneur Des Grands Crus Classés en 1885 – Médoc & Sauternes" as the exclusive representative & Classified Ambassador from "Vins de Bordeaux."

He is the General Manager at "AIOLOS S.A." based in Athens and co-owner of the wine communication & advertising company "Wine Wonders LLC".

He collaborates as a Consultant with wine-producing companies in Greece and abroad, as well as with companies in the aviation and HO.RE.CA. sectors, such as TEMES S.A. (Costa Navarino) and Aegean Airlines.

Since 2000, he has been a regular contributor to "Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book" and frequently writes for many trade and lifestyle magazines in Greece and abroad, such as the newspaper "Proto Thema" and the magazine "GRAPE."

He is the president of the "Thessaloniki International Wine & Spirits Competition" held in Thessaloniki and was co-organizer and president of the "Balkan International Wine & Spirits Competition" held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Lastly, he is a member of the “International Food & Wine Society”, as well as a member of its Wine Committee.

Primary area(s) of work: Trade, Communication

Industry sector(s): Agency/Importer, Author, Business owner, Buying, Consultant, Distribution, Educator, Import/Export, International trade, Journalism, Market access, Marketing, Off trade, On trade, PR, Sales, Wine business strategy, Wine buying, Wine judge

Wine styles: Champagne, Dry wines, Still red, Still rosé, Still white, Still wines, Sweet wines

Wine region expertise: Greece

Market expertise: Europe

Specialisms: Blending, Sensory evaluation , Supply chain efficiency, Airlines, Branding, Customs clearance, Direct to consumer, Distribution, Education, Events, Financial and commercial structures, Food and wine pairing, HORECA, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Importation, Independent retail, Marketing wine, Events, PR, Restaurant wines, Supplier/customer relationships, Supply chain efficiency, Supermarket and multiple retail, Training, Wine labels