PDO PEZA

The PDO Peza zone, located in the Heraklion regional unit of Crete, was established
in 1971 for red wines and extended to white wines in 1982. It extends centrally and
slightly north, covering a single section that applies to both types of wines. The
largest part of the zone extends to the northern and central area of ​​Nikos
Kazantzakis — Peza, Aghios Paraskies, Agios Vasileios, Alagni, Astrakies, Astritsi,
Kalloni, Katalagari, Kounavoi, Meleses, Myrtia, Choudetsi — while smaller areas exist
in the northwestern Arkalochori (Patsideros, Panorama) and northern Thrapsana
(Sambas). The vines are cultivated at altitudes above 300 meters. The Peza zone is
the easternmost and most developed of the three consecutive PDO zones of
Heraklion, exceeding Archanes and Dafne in area. The Mandilaria variety,
widespread in the Aegean and known in Crete as Mandilari, participates not only in
the Peza PDO, but also in the Archanes, Paros and Rhodes PDOs. The hardness of
Mandilari makes it ideal for blending with softer varieties, such as Kotsifali, adding
balance and depth to the red wines of the region.