CH III / D.O RUEDA HISTORY
Verdejo
Queen of the
white grape varieties
The Verdejo grape is an indigenous variety from the Duero valley. The origin of this crop is uncertain, but we know that during the reign of Alfonso VI cultivating vines was encouraged after Rueda was reconquered.
Since these lands were inhabited by Mozarabs, it is said they brought plant material from North Africa, specifically from the Algaida region, and a hybrid appeared from the combination with autochthonous plant material from the Duero valley in the zones of Castilla-León at the time of the expansion of vineyards promoted by Cantabrians and Castilians
The Verdejo grape is an indigenous variety from the Duero valley. The origin of this crop is uncertain, but we know that during the reign of Alfonso VI cultivating vines was encouraged after Rueda was reconquered.
Since these lands were inhabited by Mozarabs, it is said they brought plant material from North Africa, specifically from the Algaida region, and a hybrid appeared from the combination with autochthonous plant material from the Duero valley in the zones of Castilla-León at the time of the expansion of vineyards promoted by Cantabrians and Castilians
In the Castilian part of the Duero, Cistercian monks devoted themselves to continue the selection of this variety which, from the 16th century, in the lands of Medina del Campo (D.O. Rueda, Valladolid) was recognised for its high quality and was clearly different to the aromatic, strong wines from the west of Andalusia.
In 1755 Livoy and Sprünglin make a reference to this grape. With the modern technology for controlled fermentation at the end of the last century, this variety has undergone enormous success and expansion on a regional scale which is still in full swing.
As the critic Jesús Flores Téllez explains, verdejo has achieved outstanding adaptation in its place of origin, which allows it to withstand the cold, extreme heat and drought. The sharp climate changes between winter and summer (‘Nine months of winter and three of inferno’ the saying goes), and between day and night temperatures, produce the fruity, aromatic nuances of the variety. The vines are grown in chalky and stony soils and can grow at up to 900 metres in altitude. It is one of the varieties with the best attack, very fruity, and it leaves a certain astringency in the finish. Thanks to its great aromatic component, it could be a relative of the verdelho grape which is cultivated in the north of Portugal and Galicia.
Morphology
Tip of the young shoot (apical meristem)
Young leaf.
Young stem.
Sex of the flower.
Adult leaf.
Medium-small, pentagonal, with five lobes; petiolar sinus half open in the form of a lyre or a U; a warped profile; no or very low density of prostrate hairs between the veins; medium-to-long rectilinear serrations and medium-to-high length-to-width ratio.
Cluster.
Berry.
Seeds..
Present.
Cane.
Agronomic
Profile
Diseases and pests.
Enfermedades y plagas.
Training.
This vine plant is trained horizontally, is early shooting and has medium-to-early ripening. It adapts well to the climate of the central region (Cabello Sáenz et al, 2011).
Pruning.
The pruning system has gone from low horizontal pruning “en rastra” which left vines prone to attacks from powdery mildew to pruning with long poles which allow air to reach the fruit and increase the yield. In new plantations it is common to se trellises being used. The average weight of pruned wood is 1.027 g/vine and the average cluster weight is 1.4 kg/vine (Cabello Sáenz et al, 2011).
Adaptation
It adapts well to drought conditions and also to all types of soil (López et al,2006); it grows well in grey-brown soil which is rich in calcium and magnesium, easy to till and stony, with good ventilation and drainage and chalky outcrops at higher altitudes. These are the soils in which verdejo is grown in the Rueda winemaking area. The texture of these soils varies from sandy-loam to loamy. The pH of the soils in the Rueda district varies between 7 and 8, suitable for vine growing and together with the grey-brown soil with pebbles is the best medium for the best vineyards of the autochthonous Verdejo grape to grow (C.R.D.O Rueda).
Winemaking
Potential
Type of wine.
This grape from the northern plateau was cultivated in mixed plantations alongside Palomino to make fortified wine. Nowadays cold vinification is used, sometimes together with some Sauvignon Blanc or Viura, as a young wine, or sometimes as a cask-fermented wine. The wine made using this grape is also well suited for making sparkling wine.
Alcoholic strength of the must/wine.
Average level of sugar concentration.
Total acidity of the wine.
Total acidity of the wine.
Risk of the must oxidising.
Not particularly.
Loss of acidity during fermentation.
Not particularly.
Colour intensity.
Low.
Shade of colour.
Greenish, steely.
Tannins.
Medium to low.
Total polyphenol index (280nm) of wine.
6,7.
Risk of the wine oxidising.
Medium.
Information about genetic aromas.
High intensity, with tropical and citrus fruit and a sensation of bitter almond.
Wine’s ageing potential.
High.
Recommendation for blending.
Good combination with Sauvignon Blanc and Macabeo.
Potential for single variety wine.
Very high.
Verbal characterisation of the wine.
The wine from this grape stands at the highest level of quality among Spanish white wines, with growing expectations of prestige at both national and international level. It stands out as simultaneously displaying two qualities worthy of highlighting: aroma and body (structure).
Quality of the wine
Very high as a single variety wine in its different alternative forms of production (dry, cask-fermented, sweet, sparkling, fortified).