The majority of vineyards in the Dafnes area extend across hillside slopes, reflecting the relief of the region.
The climate of the area is the typical Mediterranean climate, with a mean annual temperature of 17°C and mean annual rainfall of 680 mm.
The vineyard soils have a moderate organic matter content, moderately alkaline pH, and a relatively high calcium carbonate content.
The climate, the terrain with its extensive slopes, and the soil composition together promote a terrestrial Mediterranean microclimate characterised by mild winters and cool summers.
The village of Dafnes lies 18 km from the city of Heraklion.
Human factors
Viticulture in the area flourished greatly during the period of Venetian rule, when Venetian merchants spread Cretan wines throughout the then-known world, with 'malvasia' becoming the most celebrated wine of the Middle Ages.
Dafnes is renowned for the celebrated variety 'dafniano', a wine that was known and highly sought after from the 13th century onward.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary · approximate area
Approximate area — the Bétard 2022 dataset polygon (EU PDOs), at municipality resolution.
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