Peza is the most productive of Crete's four PDO-level appellations, accounting for around 70% of all the wine made on the island. Both red and white wines are permitted under the appellation laws, with the native Cretan varieties of Vilana, Kotsifali and Mandilaria making up the majority of plantings. These grapes contribute to the light, delicate white wines and aromatic red wines made in Peza.
Peza is the easternmost of three contiguous wine regions in the center of Crete (although the Cretan appellation of Sitia is around 50 miles/80km away on the eastern edge of the island). The area's vineyards sit at a relatively low elevation on the hills that rise slowly southward from the city of Heraklion. As in much of Crete, wine has likely been made here for thousands of years, and various ancient wine presses and amphorae found across the whole island point to a productive early wine industry in the region.
Crete's Mediterranean climate is felt in Peza, with an ocean influence from the Aegean Sea in the north. Like many of the Aegean islands, strong, cool winds during the growing season help to cool the sunny vineyards, slowing the production of phenols and sugars in the grapes. This means that acidity is retained as the berries ripen, leading to well-balanced wines. Crete's mountainous terrain helps to shelter the wine-growing areas from the most severe effects of the warm winds that blow over the Libyan Sea from the north of Africa.
The best vineyard sites in Peza sit at altitudes that rise to around 2300ft (700m) above sea level. On these more-exposed sites, the cooling winds and the free-draining calcareous soils serve to stress the vines, leading to deep root systems and a refocusing of the plants' energy into producing small berries with a good concentration of flavor.
Dry white wines that fall under the Peza appellation must be 100% Vilana, although innovative producers are beginning to blend this variety with international grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc to make PGI-level wines. The red wines have no official blending proportions, but have been traditionally made with 75% Kotsifali and 25% Mandilaria. The addition of Mandilaria to the blend adds structure and body to the soft, lightly colored Kotsifali.
