If you’re a wine lover vacationing in Crete, a visit to Heraklion wineries is the perfect way to spend a day on this beautiful Greek island.
Just a half-hour’s drive south of the city center, you’ll be transported to a land of rolling hills blanketed with emerald vineyards. Here you’ll find Peza, the largest wine-producing region in Crete.
This family-run winery is located on a hilltop with wall-to-wall glass windows overlooking the Peza wine-growing region.
To experience the first wine they produced, try the Domaine Paterianakis red. This blend of Kotsifali and Mandilari has notes of cinnamon and baking spices with delicious dried fruit flavors like fig and prune.
This modern spot brings together local artwork and excellent Cretan wine. Leftheris Digenakis, the owner and winemaker, has been producing his own wine since 2011. But the Digenakis Winery and tasting room didn’t open until several years ago.
If you’re a red wine lover, try the Nymfaios, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend. The ripe blackberry, black cherry, and spicy peppery notes go beautifully with hard, aged cheeses.
Lyrarakis Winery‘s picturesque outdoor tasting terrace is the perfect spot to sample their great wines, surrounded by vineyards.
I enjoyed the zesty and citrusy Plyto. The Dafni was also delicious, with more herbal aromas like rosemary, lavender, and bay leaf.