In the village of Kounavi, within the renowned PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Peza wine zone south of Heraklion, one of the largest family-owned wineries in Crete has opened a dedicated visitor experience that is unlike anything else in Cretan wine tourism. The Fabrika Experience — as it is known — transforms the winery's working production spaces into an immersive journey through seven decades of Cretan winemaking, told through architecture, objects and wine.

The visit moves through four distinct spaces. First, an underground passage (8 metres deep) through an extraordinary landscape of imposing stainless steel tanks adorned with murals — a sensory introduction to the scale and ambition of modern production. Then, an outdoor exhibition of vintage wine-making machinery tracing the winery's evolution from the 1950s to the present. Next, a planted Vine Garden where all 11 indigenous Cretan grape varieties grow side by side — Vidiano, Kotsifali, Liatiko, Moschato Spinas, Malvazia Aromatica and others — labelled and explained, giving visitors a direct encounter with the raw material of Cretan viticulture. Finally, the cellar, where the family story and the barrel ageing programme unfold together.

The visit concludes with a structured tasting in a 50-person room overlooking the surrounding hills. Options range from a 3-wine introduction to a Wine Lovers tasting of six wines paired with local cheeses, and a full Food & Wine Pairing featuring five wines matched with five traditional Cretan dishes — guided by the estate's oenologist. The wines produced here have won medals at Decanter, the International Wine Challenge and the International Wine & Spirit Competition.

Tasting room capacity: 50 persons · Multiple tasting formats available