The Domaine Douloufakis Dafnios Vidiana 2013 is from Crete. Douloufakis is the producer. Dafnios/Dafnia is the village. And Vidiana is the obscure variety---so obscure in fact that it was dwindling down to near extinction, saved only by the devotion of the local grape growers and the fickle touch of fortunate marketing that made people take notice of this little autochthonous (a fancy word meaning ‘native’) white wine variety and elevate it into something of a cult wine.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” you say. “All that stuff is interesting, but what does it taste like?”
And I reply: “It tastes like nothing else you’ve ever had. Because you’ve never had this one.”
Vidiana—at least in the capable hands of Douloufakis---is an interesting combination of crisp green apple and lush melon, with a bit of grassy/herbal gooseberry to add complexity. It is not sweet; neither is it austerely dry. It is fruity, but not flabby; bright and lively, but without shrieking acidity. Vidiana is medium-bodied, fruity, well-balanced…and lip-smacking tasty. More importantly, it was a perfect foil for all the flavors on the plate. The grilled prawns, the dusky spice, the fennel slaw…Vidiano handled them all with consummate ease.
The Domaine Douloufakis Dafnios Vidiano is worth seeking out. It is a Skurnik Selection, and in the portfolio of Diamond Wine Merchants. It’s listed on www.wine-searcher.com and the average price is around $10—12 a bottle, making it a sturdy QPR wine.