Peza Wine Region

Peza is the largest appellation on Crete, covering the rolling limestone hills between Heraklion and Archanes where vines have grown continuously since Minoan times; grape presses cut into rock survive in the area and wine jars from the palaces show how old the trade is. The whites come from Vilana, crisp and citrus-driven, and the reds from Kotsifali blended with Mandilaria, the first giving softness and aroma and the second colour and structure. The union of Peza cooperatives, founded in 1933, dominates volume, but a group of family estates around Archanes and Houdetsi has raised the quality end considerably since the 2000s, several with tasting rooms, restaurants and views over the vineyards toward Mount Juktas.

What you actually see

• The hill vineyards - terraced vines on limestone south of Heraklion.
• The estates - family wineries with tasting rooms and vineyard views.
• The native grapes - Vilana, Kotsifali and Mandilaria grown locally.
• Mount Juktas - the ridge above, with its Minoan peak sanctuary.

When to go

September for the harvest, which comes early in the Cretan heat; tastings run year-round, with more estates open from spring to autumn. Booking is normal for the smaller producers.

Honest expectations

A car is necessary and so is a driver who does not taste. Some wineries open only by appointment or in season. The village of Peza itself is workaday, and the appeal is in the estates rather than the settlements.

Nearby

Archanes village and the Minoan site at Anemospilia are close; Knossos lies between here and Heraklion.