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VERDEJO
The strong personality of the hegemonic Verdejo variety and
the adhesion of others define the wines of Rueda.
The Rueda D.O. is one of the few European winegrowing areas
which specialises in white wines and in the protection and
development of its local variety, the Verdejo.
At the limit of its possibilities, the vineyard has learned
to survive its harsh, almost hostile surroundings to give
the wine its very best. The success of the wines of Rueda
is the result of a learned winemaking process that, over
the centuries, has defined the wine that the hedonist consumption
and market requested, from the old golden wines to the current
fruity wines.
There are no experiences of the growing of this variety outside
the D.O., and even less so beyond our borders, which is something
of a mystery. It is as if so many centuries of growing the
grape and working the land had created a special bond. This
is the first case where the resistance to the cold and the
drought, characteristic of a rustic grape, is equivalent
to quality.
The main characteristic of the verdejo variety is its slightly
golden colour resulting from its rich iron content obtained
from the soil. This is due to the creeping character of its
shoots impregnated with mud, which are capable of assimilating
the iron from the soil through film and leaves.
The somewhat obscure origin of the Verdejo stretches back
to the 11th century, coinciding with the reign of Alphonso
VI. This period saw the repopulation of the Duero basin with
Cantabrians, Basques and Mozarabs, and it was probably the
latter who brought the Verdejo variety with them from the
north of Africa after a period of adaptation in the south
of Spain.
So, the Verdejo grape was hegemonic and its cultivation was
generalised until the phyloxera reduced hectares of productive
terrain in the local vineyards, which served as encouragement
to fight even harder for the increase of productivity by
planting more productive grapes. |
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VIURA
The Viura variety, with its Riojan reputation, began to be cultivated
in the 50s. It was a period where the classic model of white
wine involved laying it down in the wooden cask for a certain
period of time.. This variety provided the aristocratic touch
of Castilian table wine, while the Verdejo was cultivated
as a generous and popular wine. This vine, which was referred
to as "macabeo" in Catalonia, has a large orbicular
leaf, with a spidery and hairy underside, with medium to
large size racemes with very spherical berries which have
bittersweet juice and ripen more slowly. The role of this
grape in the coupage of Verdejo consists of stopping the
oxidative evolution of these varieties. |
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SAUVIGNON
BLANC
The Sauvignon Blanc variety appeared in the 70s thanks to the
entrepreneurial winegrowers of the D.O., and the cultivation
of this variety, which is originally from the Loire region, was
gradually generalised. Over the years, the Sauvignon Blanc has
become more Castilian, and has displayed features that are very
different from those of its French home if we compare it to the
Loire and Bordeaux, mainly due to the greater quantity of sunshine.
The sauvignon blanc variety is also blended with the verdejo,
with a view to creating a wine with voluminous features of the
bitter fruity personality that join with the floral and delicate
hints of the star grape. It is a role similar to that played
by the sauvignon and Sémillon of Bordeaux, as a classic
combination for the great wines of this prestigious French region.
The first provides the aromas, acidity and freshness of green
fruit, whereas the second offers body and a certain degree of
virility. |
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PALOMINO
In the 30s, there was an exaggerated demand by the wineries of
Jerez for a wine similar to their own. This brought about
the cultivation of the Palomino variety, which, planted in
Castilla, was the origin of wines with a large amount of
fleur, and which was believed to produce apparently similar
wines yielding a greater production.
Until the 70s, more Palomino was planted in Rueda than Verdejo.
As late as 1977, according to the register of the province of
Valladolid, the municipality of La Seca produced a larger amount
of this grape. Up to the creation of the D.O., the type of root
stock was the Rupestris de Lot, except in Rueda, where most of
the crop was ungrafted; it is currently receding. |
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RED
WINE VARIETIES
Historically, our area has enjoyed fame and prestige for its
white wines, but it is also true that at the beginning of the
20th century, our fields and vineyards saw the harvesting of
red wine grapes on 20-25% of its winegrowing surface area.
It could undoubtedly be thought that at some moment, there must
have been a heavily selective phenomenon which brought about
a predominance of white wine over red. The location of the area
between two winegrowing regions with a clearly defined predominance
of red varieties, or the high demand for full-bodied wines in
the 16th and 17th centuries, when they were considered as the
wines of the Court, could at that time have influenced the specialisation
of the area in white wine vines.
Possibly, the devastating plague of the phyloxera which occurred
at the beginning of the 20th century was responsible for the
almost complete disappearance of the red wine vines, leading
to the absolute dominance of the white wine vineyard.
Recently, winegrowers, innovative and filled with hope, have
recuperated the winegrowing past of the red wine grapes in such
a way that from September 2001, the Rueda D.O. has incorporated
the making of red and rosé wines into its regulations
in the different categories of crianza, reserva and gran reserva,
with absolute dominance of the tempranillo variety, also known
in the region as tinto del país or tinto fino. The varieties
authorised for winemaking have shown their perfect adaptation
to the area, together with their qualities for the creation of
quality wines. These are: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Garnacha. |
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TEMPRANILLO
Also known as Cencibel, Ojo de Libre, Tinta Madrid, Tinto del
Pais and Tinto de Toro (all in Spain) and Aragonez and Tinta
Roriz (in Portugal)
From its Spanish homeland and from neighbouring Portugal this
fine grape is now planted in countries as far apart as Australia
and Argentina with equally good results. Theories abound that
it is descended from Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc but nothing
substantial has yet been established.
Flavours in wines from this grape range from spice and tobacco
through to leather but many have a notable oak influence. It
can also be blended with white grapes (such as Albillo) or other
reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, both of which have
a natural affinity and can produce wines with great character
and class. |
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CABERNET
SAUVIGNON
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MERLOT
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GARNACHA/GRENACHE
Garnacha, known elsewhere as Grenache, evolved in Aragon (north-eastern
Spain), and thrives in hot, dry climates. It is the world's
second most abundant red variety. It buds early and needs
a long season to ripen, tending to make light-coloured wines,
high in alcohol, with rich, peppery fruit and spicy cinnamon
notes. Garnacha is low in acidity and tannin, and is often
used as a blending component. Consequently, despite its abundance,
it is surprisingly rarely encountered as a single varietal.
Garnacha is Spain's most widely planted grape, where it is
an important component of Rioja, and is a major grape in
France's Southern Rhône and Languedoc regions. Although
Garnacha rarely gets centre stage, when it is grown at low
yields and in suitable terroirs, it has the capacity to produce
profound long-lived wines.
The Grenache grape variety is a sweet grape and is one of the
most planted in the world. It produces wines that are fruity,
full in flavor, and have overtones of spice. Wines made from
the Grenache are usually light in color and are often made of
blends with other grape varieties. Grenache resists heat and
tolerates limited rainfall. |
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