On the Greek island of Tinos, century-old vines run near-wild in the salty Aegean breeze. Jérôme Binda, a native of France—although not from a winemaking family—harnesses these ancient, indigenous grapes to make extraordinary wines of... Read More

On the Greek island of Tinos, century-old vines run near-wild in the salty Aegean breeze. Jérôme Binda, a native of France—although not from a winemaking family—harnesses these ancient, indigenous grapes to make extraordinary wines of terroir and technical skill.

The grapes are varieties rarely seen outside of the Cyclades, with names like Aspro Potamisi, Koumariano and Mavro Potamisi; the old vines are bush trained and were planted generations ago. Jérôme's first vintage was 2015, and quality has only improved since then. He has never abandoned his dedication to the native grapes, indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention; his pursuit of excellence is near fanatical.

He uses no chemicals—not in the vineyard, nor in the cellar. The wines are vinified and bottled without sulfur to fully capture all of the wild, mountainous terroir, as well as ancient winemaking techniques—the grapes are hand-harvested and foot-stomped.

The island is surrounded by some of the stormiest waters in Greece, and there’s no doubt that the winds whipping off the Aegean greatly affect the wines produced there. The old vines must sink their roots deep within the sandy soil, rich with decomposed granite and sea salt, to reach fresh water.

These are wines that speak to both Jérôme's ancestral homeland and where he has chosen to resettle—and they are unlike anything we know from either country.