Denomination of Origin Rueda
Maybe if you ask to any Spaniard, could you recommend me a good Verdelho from Spain?, he’ll surely recommend you any wine from the region of Rueda. And maybe this association is because of the wine history that this Region has. There are records on the production of wine in this Region since medieval times in old Spanish records from more than 9 centuries ago.
This Designation of Origen is the first and oldest DO created in “Castilla y Leon”, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture on 12 January 1980. The production zone covered by this DO is made up of 72 towns and villages, 53 of which are located in the south of the province of Valladolid, 17 to the west of Segovia and four north of Ávila.
The Grapes produced under this Designation of Origin (DO) are grown between 700 and 800 meters above sea level, on flat and high ground. Winters are cold and long and springs are short with late frost while summers are hot and dry.
It is in the center of the Duero River’s basin and comprises a plateau with smooth relief and slopes exposed to winds from the Atlantic. The soil is grey-brown, rich in calcium and magnesium, easy to till and stony, well ventilated and well drained.
The region is famous for the Verdelho production, but is not the only grape that could be found within this DO. The white grapes allowed under this DO are:
- Verdelho
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Viura
- Palomino Fino
It is also possible to find red varieties like:
- Tempranillo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Grenache
A good candidate to taste what Rueda has to offer is the delicate Blanco Nieva, from the municipality of Nieva at the northwest of the town of Segovia. The location of the vineyards in Nieva belongs to the 12th century, when the commercialisation of the wines started with the peak of Los Cartujos monastery. Viñedos de Nieva is a modern company was founded in 1989 as a project trying to revive the vine-growing tradition that existed in this region since memorial times. After 20 years working step by step, in 2009, Bodegas MARTÚE joined this company to enforce the image of this winery and add their experience to increase even more the quality of this wines.