Verdejo
One of Spain’s higher quality white grape varieties is Verdejo which languished in obscurity for several hundred years.
The grape is home in the Rueda region of Spain, and is not only known for its high quality, but also as one of the best values found anywhere in the wine world.
The most successfully cultivated in high altitude vineyards
It is most successfully cultivated in high altitude vineyards where the soils are calcareous and well drained.Its finest manifestation is Rueda Superior, which must contain a minimum of 85% Verdejo. Typically Verdejo dominated wines are crisp with soft, creamy, nutty overtones, and sometimes accompanied by notes of honey. Arguably Spain’s finest white grape variety.
The Rueda region of Spain is planted predominantly with Verdejo, but the region also produces some Sauvignon Blanc, Viura and Palomino Fino. Verdejo traces its roots to the 11th century in Rueda, where it most likely came from North Africa.
I’m focusing on Verdejo in general for this column, and June 12 has been identified as Verdejo Day in honor of this wine known as “the people’s white” in Spain.
