The PDO Archanes zone received its PDO status in 1971. It is located at the north-central part of the Heraklion district in Crete between the PDO Peza zone and the PDO Dafne zone. It includes parts of the areas of Archanes, Heraklion and Temenos. The limits of the PDO Archanes zone begin not far from historic Knossos and end south at Vathipetro, where archeological research has discovered the oldest Minoan wine press in Crete. PDO Archanes wines are dry red and come as a blend of the local Kotsifali and Mandilari grape varieties but have significantly different characteristics from the PDO Peza wines due to the difference in the percentages.