Konstantinos Lazarakis MW
President - Head of WSPC Education - Principal of WSPC Wine School
Konstantinos Lazarakis MW – President of the Wines & Spirits Professional Center (WSPC) is a highly regarded figure both in Greece and abroad. For the past 20 years he has been the active advocate and ambassador of quality wines in domestic and international markets; he holds a proven track record of partnerships and synergies aimed at promoting the good reputation and esteemed work of Greek and global wine producers, as well as of acclaimed wine regions worldwide. In 2006 the Institute of Masters of Wine awarded him with the Noval Award as “The MW Communicator of the Year”.
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 wine tasting and theVilla Maria Award” for outstanding performance on the Viticulture paper.
For nine years he has been a member of the Council of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and the current Chair of the Trips Committee for the past four years.
Konstantinos is the General Manager of Aiolos Wines in Athens, co-owns the wine communication company Wine Wonders, while serving as a special consult for the Hellenic Exports Organization & Aegean Airlines.
Since 2000 he has been a regular contributor to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book” and to several trade and lifestyle magazines in Greece and abroad.
He is the President of the Thessaloniki International Wine and Spirit Competition and has served as the president and co-organizer of the Balkan International Wine Competition, which takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Lastly, he is a member of the International Food & Wine Society, as well as a member of its Wine Committee.
He is married to Tonia Kiriazis and together they have one son.