Vidiano

The ancient white variety of Vidiano originates from the island of Crete in Greece and was almost extinct but is now working on its revival! The grape has thick skins and is well suited for the hot climate of Crete. Even though it can produce high alcohol levels, it retains its natural acidity very well despite of this. It is rather difficult grape to cultivate and picking needs to be done in time, as the grape is early ripening. Vidiano is not suitable for high-volume production, due to its low yields. Meaning most of the wines made from it will be of good quality and more. The grape does best on poor, free draining soils and can produce a wide range of wine styles. Fruity aromas can turn tropical like apricot and peach, or it can turn into a highly aromatic wine when blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Due to its high acidity, it lends itself for the production of sparkling wine, leading to surprising results. The best examples are barrel-fermenting displaying a distinctive mineral note from the limestone and calcareous soils it loves to grow on.

Aromas
Aromas will of course depend mostly on the style, but the high acidity does lead to aromas of lemon and lime. Apart from those tropical notes like melon, apricot and white peach can be found. Touches of minerals and wet stones, and with oak aging we can find some bread dough, roasted almonds and honey.

Colour
Medium lemon green.

Wine Type
Medium-bodied white wine

Food Matching
The sparkling wine can be drunk with the aperitif, combined with the freshness of Tzatziki, but also different kinds of shellfish like oysters. The fresh aromatic style can be enjoyed with more shellfish like mussels, along with squid and sepia. While the barrel fermented can be enjoyed with swordfish, tuna or soft cheeses.