World Verdejo Day, June 14th
(2nd Friday of June) #WorldVerdejoDay
Verdejo is a white wine from Spain.
If you order a “white wine” in any bar in Spain, you will likely find Verdejo in your glass.
Rueda
Verdejo is found primarily in Rueda (a region whose name in Spanish means “Wheel.” Located in Castilla y Léon in North East Spain, the area is an overarching DO (Denominaciones de Origin) containing 9 nested DOs. The Rueda DO is known for its brilliant white wines based on Verdejo.
Rueda sits in the south center of Castilla y Léon, and wine here dates back to the Middle Ages when stories say that the Verdejo grape came to this region with the Mozarabs.
The region is hot and dry in the summertime, and winters are long and cold. Altitude-wise, it sits between 700-900 meters (2300 to almost 3000 feet!). The altitude allows for wide diurnal shifts (the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures), which maintains the acidity in the grapes as they ripen.
Verdejo the grape
On the scientific side, DNA research suggests this grape’s parentage is Savagnin from France’s Jura Region and Castellana Blanc. Castellana Blanc was once found in this region, but today, it is mainly contained to the Canary Islands.
The grape itself is thin-skinned and prone to oxidation, which is why Verdejo was traditionally made in an oxidative style, outside in glass demijohns. In the 70s, they began to make this wine in a fresher style, working carefully to preserve the aromatics using modern winemaking techniques. You will often find it blended with Viura and Sauvignon Blanc.
Flavors and Aromas of Verdejo
In the crisp, bright Verdejos coming out of the region, you will find notes of:
lime, grapefruit, lime zest,
lemon, melon
wet stones, grass, citrus flowers,
pine, and fresh fennel.
What to pair?
I suggest fish tacos!
We did a pairing with fish tacos a while back, and it was delicious!
Grab a bottle
and do a virtual trip to Spain
to celebrate Verdejo Day!
More on Verdejo here on Crushed Grape Chronicles
Rueda and Verdejo just keep rolling with the #1 white wine in Spain!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
2 comments
Leave your reply.