Celebrate International Verdejo Day with Millbrook's 2022 Regional Verdejo!

Here at Millbrook Winery, we are thrilled to celebrate International Verdejo Day! Join us in exploring this incredible Spanish varietal and discover the crisp, aromatic, and delicious 2022 Regional Verdejo.

How to Pronounce Verdejo

Ver-day-oh.

Where is Verdejo Grown?

Verdejo is a relatively unknown grape outside of Spain, primarily thriving in its native Rueda. The variety is rare, with only a handful of vineyards globally, and just 11 producers in Australia. Our small parcel of Verdejo in Margaret River is incredibly special, and we are excited to share this unique alternative variety with you.

Millbrook Winemaker Emma Gillespie finds inspiration in this rarity, striving to celebrate this alternative varietal grown in Margaret River.

Fun Fact: Verdejo was initially cultivated for oxidized sherries. It wasn’t until the late 1900s that a dry, aromatic style of Verdejo gained popularity among producers and drinkers alike!

What is Verdejo Wine?

Verdejo is a light-bodied white wine, often presenting an herbaceous aroma, similar to Sauvignon Blanc. It delivers a burst of aromatic, floral, fruity, and nutty flavors. If you love our Regional Fiano or Sauvignon Blanc, you are guaranteed to love Verdejo!

Expect notes of lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, citrus blossom, savory almonds, and fennel.

Winemaking Influence on Verdejo

Our winemaking approach for Verdejo is very hands-off, utilising cool ferment temperatures to retain fresh aromatics with minimal fining or filtration. This method allows the Verdejo fruit to shine with intense, vibrant characters of melon and white peach, alongside lifted florals. On the palate, you’ll find mandarin pith and citrus embrace. Emma emphasizes offering something different and interesting that people may not have tried before.

The Best Food Pairings for our Regional Verdejo

Winemaker Emma recommends pairing the 2022 Regional Verdejo with foods that complement its pithy, fennel frond, and citrus characters. Think seafood dishes, caprese salad, and Spanish tapas like Patatas Bravas as a nod to Verdejo's homeland.

Our restaurant team suggests a "Tomato and Bread Salad" – a simple yet perfect Millbrook dish, with produce sourced from the estate garden at our award-winning restaurant. You can find their recipe here.

2022 Regional Verdejo: 3x Silver Medals and 90 Points

"A variety that offers enticing aromatics from white blossom to ginger spice as much as flavour (think stone fruit and grapefruit). This is highly savoury with some quince paste, lemon curd, a whiff of white pepper and a lick of phenolics adding a textural element. Refreshing and dry yet best with food."

- 90 Points, Halliday Wine Companion 2024

“This is such a rare varietal outside of its homeland in Spain, grown on one of our company-owned vineyards in Margaret River. 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, 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.