Dionysis Kefallinos’s started his journey in 2018, wanting to make low intervention wines with the indigenous grapes of his native Zakynthos. In collaboration with local winegrowers and the island’s co-operative winery he is the first to produce natural wines on the island, and his own small cuvees of 1,000 – 3,000 bottles. The vines are all old, ungrafted bush-vines in very small batches. The vines are pruned into 4 spurs, one for each point of the compass. Dionysis considers Zakynthos a ‘paradise’ for indigenous varieties with 25 only found on the island.
This diversity is thanks to Zakynthos’s position seeing Venetians, Normans, and mainland Greeks come through over the years, and leaving their footprint on the islands viticulture and winemaking. This is true for Verdea, a Venetian name referencing the green colour of the grape juice.
Verdea is a traditional appellation of Zakynthos that reflects the Venetian influence on the island. The name references the apparent green colour of the grape juice as fields with many different varieties were harvested together and, as they all ripen at different times, the unripe/green grapes would give it a characteristic colour and the resulting wine a high acidity. After manual harvesting, the must ferments on indigenous yeasts and then benefits from ageing in barrels for about 10 months. Each variety is kept in separate barrels, 16 in total to make the final blend. It is bottled without filtration or other human interventions, in only 600 bottles, as it is a natural wine.
It has a medium lemon color with golden hues that are prone to oak aging. Aromas of grass, peach blossom, citrusy character in every form such as lemon in syrup, candied bergamot, bitter orange zest, grapefruit, and orange blossoms. Notes of honey, peach, vanilla, and toasted bread complement the set.
The plots are located at an altitude of 850m on deep white limestone soils. The wine is aged naturally for 10 months in barrels (no new wood). The vines are worked with the most natural principles
It is a red of texture, a fine, delicate nose, and a subtly dosed woodiness in filigree. The scents evoke jammy red fruits, and aromatic herbs such as bay leaf and rosemary. A very juicy body, with fine tannins, on the surface of the fruit, very close to the grape. The palate is slender with a remarkable limestone grain finish. Tt is a great subtle and aromatic wine.