Asprovartzamo

Siflogo - Lefkada Island - Ionian sea - Asprovartzamo - Orange natural wine with zero added sulfites - ORGANIC wine - Eklektikon - Greek wine

This is the first and only vinification in the world of this extremely rare and saved from extinction variety, which is indigenous to the island of Lefkada, with a short skin contact and zero added sulfites or other additives.

  • Grower: Siflogo
  • Vintage: 2022
  • Type: Orange Dry Wine
  • Grapes: Asprovartzamo 100%
  • Appellation: PGI Lefkada
  • Alcohol: 13.80%
  • Bottle: 750ml
  • Viticulture: Certified Organic
  • Vinification: Skin contact for 3 days, wild fermentation in stainless steel tank with mild temperature control for 35 days, lees removal partially and elevation for 5 months in stainless steel tank. Bottled unfiltered and unfined without any sulfites or any additives.
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Viticulture

  • Certified Organic
  • Climate: Humid Mediterranean
  • Soil: Rocky limestone
  • Vine age: Planted in 1984
  • Altitude: 500m
  • Slope: 20%
  • Planting density: 6,500 plants / ha
  • Yield: 1.2kg / plant
  • Irrigation: None
  • Spraying: Bordeaux mixture (once)
  • Harvesting: Manually in crates

Vinification

  • Maceration: Skin contact for 3 days
  • Pressing: Pneumatic mild press
  • Temperature Control: During maceration at 10-12℃ and during fermentation below 25℃
  • Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation for about 35 days with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tank
  • Malolactic: Naturally completed
  • Maturation: 5 months in stainless steel tank
  • Clarification: None
  • Filtration: None
  • Production: 300 lt
  • Alcohol: 13.80%
  • Acidity: 5.60 gr/l
  • RS: 1.50 gr/l
  • Total sulfites: 6 mg/l
  • Certification: USDA Organic Wine
  • Bottle: 750ml

Siflogo is a small organic wine “workshop” (as their owners call it), which was founded in 1994 by Dionysis and Maria Papanikolopoulos, in the small, mountainous village “Platystoma”, on the island of Lefkada in the Ionian sea. Their son, Vasilis, is also involved and destined to take over after a few years.

Viticulture and winemaking has been a family tradition and occupation for many generations. Its production is limited to a handful of “pure” wine bottles. The family has been farming organically (certified) the island’s indigenous grapes: Vertzami, Vardea, but also more obscure grapes, like Mavropatrino, Chlori, Thiako, Apsrovartzamo, Kokkinostafylo.

At an altitude of 500m on the dry, poor, limestone rocky soils – which have never seen chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or any harmful intervention – the vines struggle to produce low yields, which, however, lead to impressive results in the winery. Farming is done exclusively by hand, with only a little help from plant fertilization, bluestone, and sulphur.

Lefkada is renowned for its physical beauty. Picturesque villages, dense vegetation, impressive bays with clear green-blue waters, organized and isolated beaches of immense beauty, a strong local culture, and hospitable residents.

It is the fourth largest (both in size and population) island of the Ionian sea, with about 23,000 residents. It is also one of the only two Greek islands, that are connected to the mainland through a bridge (the other being Evia).

The topography of the island features steep mountains, multiple bays and little peninsulas, essentially forming fascinating fjords, and impressive world famous beaches. The most famous ones are Porto Katsiki, Kathisma, and Egremni.