Discover One of Australia's Only Verdejo Wines

Here at Millbrook, we are extremely excited that International Verdejo Day is coming up!

Read on to explore this incredible Spanish varietal and discover the crisp, aromatic and delicious 2022 Regional Verdejo.

How do you pronounce Verdejo?

Ver-day-oh.

Where is Verdejo planted around the world?

Verdejo is still a relatively unknown grape outside of Spain and it's extremely rare to be found outside of its native Rueda. There are only a handful of other vineyards planted around the world and in Australia – in fact there are only 11 producers of Verdejo wine across the country! This makes our small parcel of Verdejo in Margaret River extremely special, and we are so happy to be able to share this unique alternative variety with you.

Millbrook Winemaker Emma finds this rarity inspiring and said, “[she strives] to produce a varietal in Australia that not many other people do by celebrating this alternative varietal grown in Margaret River."

Fun fact: Verdejo was initially grown to produce oxidized sherries and it wasn’t until the late 1900s that a dry, aromatic style of Verdejo became popular with producers and drinkers alike!

What is Verdejo wine?

Verdejo is a light-bodied white wine and can often have a herbaceous aroma similar to that of Sauvignon Blanc. However, it also delivers an explosion of aromatic, floral, fruity and nutty flavours. If you love our Regional Fiano or Sauvignon Blanc, you are guaranteed to love this wine too!

Think lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit and citrus blossom alongside savoury almonds and fennel.

How does winemaking influence the aromas and flavours of this wine?

Winemaking was left very hands-off, with cool ferment temperatures to retain fresh aromatics as well as minimal fining or filtration. This has allowed the Verdejo fruit to sing with intense, vibrant characters of melon and white peach, as well as lifted florals. This intensity carries on to the palate where mandarin pith and citrus embrace. Emma said, “to offer something different and interesting that people may not have tried before is a great opportunity.”

What is the best food to eat with the 2022 Regional Verdejo?

Winemaker Emma recommends “foods that are well complemented by the pithy, fennel frond and citrus characters of the wine, such as seafood dishes, caprese salad, and of course some Spanish tapas like Patatas Bravas, as a tip of the hat to the original homeland of the variety.” Delicious!

Executive Chef Guy Jeffreys said, “Tomato and Bread Salad” – a simple, yet perfect Millbrook dish, with produce sourced from the Estate garden at the award-winning restaurant. You can find Guy's recipe here.

2022 Regional Verdejo

3x Silver Medals

“This is such a rare varietal outside of its homeland in Spain, grown on one of our company-owned vineyards in MR. Often compared to whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, we wanted to make sure to pull away from making it like any other white wine. This allowed us to create a wine yielding maximum expression of the varietal characters, by taking a more minimalist winemaking approach. This involved using fewer additions during the making of the wine."

– Millbrook Winemaker Emma Gillespie

Transport yourself to sun-drenched Spain with this under-the-radar wine and shop the 2022 Regional Verdejo here.