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Verdejo from Rueda, Spain: An Original

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I love wines from Spain. For many reasons. They\\u2019re often inexpensive yet high quality. When they\\u2019re good, they\\u2019re fresh, layered, and delicious. And maybe best of all, they\\u2019re originals \\u2013 you don\\u2019t see every country growing Spanish grapes. These are one of a kind.

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The reds are fabulous and what the country is best known for, but the whites are compelling and outstanding too. Albari\\xf1o from Rias Baixas and the rare white blends of Priorat are particular standouts, but maybe the best white grape of all is Verdejo, a full, creamy, pear and herbal tasting wine with nut and honey notes and enough acid to keep it fresh and lively.\\xa0 This grape -- possibly native to this area, possibly brought by predecessors of the Moors from North Africa --has settled in well and Rueda, located on a 2,300 foot high plain just northeast of Madrid, is where it shines.

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In this dry, boring looking plain of north-central Spain, soils are rocky and well-drained. The vines struggle and if they weren\\u2019t so drought resistant they wouldn\\u2019t survive. Rueda\\u2019s climate is like that of any mid-western area \\u2014 continental with hot summers and cold winters. The day to night temperature swings (diurnals) are extreme, and that means that the grapes can gather acidity in the cool nights to offset the ripeness they get from sitting in the hot sun all day.

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Given the location, weather is erratic. Storms whipping over the Iberian peninsula smack the area and frost, wind, hail, and any number of other natural maladies can maim or kill the crops unexpectedly. And one of those maladies, the killer of all European grapevines in the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the phylloxera root bug, kicked the area in the teeth and put Verdejo at risk of falling into obscurity, if not extinction.

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After ripping through the area and killing 2/3 of the vines, growers replanted on American grapevine roots (which are resistant to phylloxera, can anchor the plant, and can take a graft from a different grape species with no noticeable flavor difference). But they picked grapes that produced quantity over quality, and Verdejo, a slower grower, got bumped by Sauvignon Blanc and Viura (also used in Cava and white Rioja).\\xa0 Most of the stuff produced from 1922 through the 1970s was Sherry-like wine of variable quality often sold in bulk.

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Help came from an unlikely source in the 1970s: Marquis de Riscal, a Rioja producer, who decided to bring Verdejo into the spotlight and make dry whites from the grape. The Bodega\\u2019s dedication to reviving the grape transformed it. Part of the problem for Verdejo-based wines was that they did seem to oxidize (turn into that sherry-like concoction) quickly. With investment and research, Riscal and other producers found that night harvest, cooler fermentations, and a good dose of sulfur dioxide helps preserve the aromas and freshness of the wines and makes them shine.

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My opinion: Good call!

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Named for the green color of its berries (verde), Verdejo is the 5th most planted white grape in Spain and is popular in its mother country. And it\\u2019s clear why: The grape is unlike any other. It\\u2019s aromatic with its citrus notes and usually a distinctive earthy, underbrush/shrubby smell. It tastes like bay leaves, almonds, and has a slight bitterness and great mouth-cleansing acidity. Despite its crispness, wines of Verdejo have a full, smooth, silky texture that I love. It\\u2019s a complex, food friendly white -- great with everything from sheep\\u2019s milk cheese to pasta or fish in lemon or lemon cream sauces. The grape\\u2019s acidity makes it refreshing for warm weather but the full nature of the wine makes it a great fall and winter white too.

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Through this praise of the grape, I\\u2019ve failed to mention one of the coolest things about Verdejo: you can get great stuff for around US $15. That said, not all Rueda or Verdejo is created equal so let me give you some tips for buying before I sign off.

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• Wines labeled \\u201cRueda\\u201d are only required to be 50% Verdejo \\u2014 the rest is normally Sauvignon Blanc and Viura, a grape usually used for blending in white Rioja and in Cava, as I already mentioned.

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• Wines labeled \\u201cRueda Verdejo\\u201d or Rueda Superior are required to be 85% Verdejo, but many are 100% and usually indicate so on the bottle. Rueda Verdejo are the best wines, in my opinion. Look before you buy \\u2013 the label will usually indicate if the wine is 100% Verdejo and that\\u2019s what you need to seek out.

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Have you had Rueda Verdejo? What do you think? Please go to winefornormalpeople.com/blog and drop a comment and get a full transcript of this audio blog.