The valley north and west of Pyrgou is a wine land with exceptional characteristics. The undulating earthen mounds with beneficial clay for vines are exposed to the north and they receive the humid meltemi winds of the Cretan sea. The church of Agios Georgios, also called Mesambelitis, since it is surrounded by vineyards (ambelia), stands on a plateau of this valley. Traditional information saved by the late scholar Kostis Mastrogiannakis, states that a monastery existed there in the past, which thrived during the period of the Venetian Occupation. The current church was built later on the ruins of an older one. Saint George’s memory is commemorated on November 3rd, at the feast of Ai Giorgis Methystis, marking the relationship of Mesambelitis with the production of wine since, according to the tradition, wine barrels are opened on that day to taste the new wines.

The remnants show that a big industrial wine-making center operated there. Specifically, to the south of the church, the boundaries of a winepress with dimensions 4.60m x 4.40m are visible (a low wall has been reconstructed on three sides and a wall built with mud from ground tiles and lime is preserved southwards at a height of 1.40m). Inside the winepress a grape press (mangana or galeagra) with dimensions 1.70m x 1.10m x 0.25m is carved in a monolith of marly limestone. It appears that two more winepresses existed eastwards of this winepress, but a modern building was erected there. Totally, the dimensions of these winepresses are estimated at 10.00m x 3.50m. Eastwards of this area, the southern wall of the winepress is preserved at a height of 1.20m with part of the eastern wall. The dimensions of this uncovered space are 50.00m x 3.50m.

Also there are three troughs and three reconstructed holding tanks: The first one is in the east with dimensions 1.55 x 0.80 x 1.10m and a holding tank 1.54m x 0.80m x 1.10m. The second one measures 1.70 x 0.97 x 1.10m with a holding tank 1.70m x 0.90m x 0.70m, and the third one with dimensions 2.25 x 1.00 x 1.10m and a holding tank 0.80m x 0.70m x 0.70m.

This is a large winemaking complex on a plateau in the middle of an important wine land, probably in a religious site (monastery).