Rueda Verdejo – A crisp white alternative to Sauvignon Blanc (#WorldWineTravel)

Let’s say you’re in Ribera del Duero, Spain, and tasting full-bodied, Tempranillo-based reds. (Wishful thinking, but someday we’ll be able to travel again.) Sure, these reds are expressive and rich wines, but now you’re ready for a change of pace. You need only drive west about 90 miles to reach a completely different region and wine: Rueda and its signature white wine, Verdejo.

Wine Folly, a well-respected source for wine information, claims that no one goes to Rueda.

“Your internationally travelled friends will never come back with stories of Rueda. It’s a place where few outsiders will venture, even if the region produces some of the most amazing wines…”

But you should go – or, if that’s not possible, check out your local wine retailer or grocer. These Rueda wines are increasingly popular and typically good value for price. The Arindo Verdejo I found about a half mile from home is a crisp and refreshing alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

The World Wine Travel bloggers are focusing on Spain throughout 2021. This month, we travel virtually to Castilla y León to visit Ribera del Duero, Rueda, and Toro. Hope you can join us for our Twitter chat Saturday 3/27, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET. Simply follow the #WorldWineTravel hashtag.

Allison Wallace at Advinetures put together an excellent preview of Ribera del Duero. I strongly suggest checking it out. In this post, I’m talking exclusively about Rueda Verdejo.

The region and grape

The sister regions of Rueda and Ribera del Duero are located on high plateaus along the Duero River in the Castilla y León region of north-central Spain, two hours north of Madrid. Ribera y Rueda, the region’s tourism site, describes this landscape best:

“… the climate is extreme and cruel with cold winters, late springs and blistering summers; and while harsh for humans, Verdejo thrives under these conditions, concentrating flavor. An ample 2,600 hours of sunshine, low rainfall and winds keep the vineyards dry, allowing for a practically organic viticulture. Roots are forced to dig deep through the sandy, stony soil for water and nutrients, giving the wines a slight minerality. Huge temperature swings between day and night help maintain the balance between sugar and acidity in the Verdejo grape.”

Quick facts:

• There are 32,500 acres of vineyards in Rueda, of which 28,800 acres are Verdejo. The remaining land is planted mostly to Sauvignon Blanc.
• The area has 69 wineries and is cultivated by more than 1,500 growers.
• To be “Rueda Verdejo,” wines must contain at least 85 percent Verdejo.
• Verdejo is harvested at night to allow the grapes to cool from the scorching summer heat.
• Verdejo was almost wiped out by the Phylloxera pest in the late 19th century, but some old Phylloxera-free vines survived.
• Verdejo is rarely found outside of Spain.

For centuries, Rueda made oxidized, Sherry-style wines. Then in 1972, a Rioja-based company established a winery in Rueda and started to use modern winemaking techniques to make fruity white wines.

The region became a designated Denominación de Origen (DO) in 1980. Wines labeled DO Rueda come from a specific geographic area with vineyard and quality-control regulations. But these rigorous requirements haven’t stopped Rueda winemakers from innovating. While most wine is made in stainless-steel vats, Rueda winemakers are experimenting with natural yeasts, cement egg-shaped fermenters, and even using Verdejo grapes to produce sweet and sparkling wines.

The producer

Established in 2008, Shaya Bodegas and Vineyards is a project of the Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares (Gil Family Estates). The group owns small wineries scattered throughout Spain. Shaya’s winemaker is an Australian woman, Belinda Thomson.

The idea for Shaya apparently started with a desire to make “authentic Rueda wine from authentic Verdejo grapes” – those from pre-phylloxera vines – on a parcel of land west of Segovia. The only thing missing was a name – and then a deer trotted by.

According to Miguel Gil, a member of the Gil family and manager of the Shaya bodegas, “the name Shaya comes from the name given to a deer saved at a wildlife rescue center in the area. We liked the name very much, and it also matched our idea of recovering the authentic Verdejo we wanted for our project.”

The wine – 2019 Shaya Bodegas y Viñedos Arindo Verdejo, Rueda DO
100% Verdejo

Soils are sandy and covered with alluvial pebbles. Harvest is done by hand. The juice is fermented in stainless-steel tanks for about 25 days at low temperatures, without using commercial yeast. Once the fermentation is complete, Arindo Verdejo remains refrigerated until bottling.

My tasting notes: Pale yellow in color. Fruity aromas of pineapple and nectarine, and a springtime freshness, took, like a grassy field of wildflowers. Crisp and tangy, the palate has abundant lemon juice and lemon zest, a bit of pineapple, and a not-unpleasant, bitter almond note at the end of a medium+ finish. High acidity. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $13.99.

The pairing

Anyone else still getting a Sunday newspaper delivered to their home? The spouse loves his crossword puzzles, and we both enjoy Sunday mornings spent lounging and reading the paper. Paging through the supplements, I found a recipe by Food Network celebrity cook Giada De Laurentiis for Penne with Spicy Calabrian Shrimp. While Italian, not Spanish, this dish seemed in my wheelhouse and something that might pair successfully with a crisp, fruity wine – especially if I dialed back the spice a bit.

I was mostly right. This pasta dish needed an extra squirt of lemon juice to stand up to the wine’s high acidity. I also ended up adding red pepper sauce. The wine can handle some spice, and seafood – particularly shellfish – is definitely a match for the light but silky body of a Verdejo like this one.

So go to Rueda, if you can – just don’t go in the summer or winter! Meanwhile, to get your appetite whetted for Castilla y León, check out the links below:

• Allison of AdVINEtures declares Ribera del Duero: Spain’s Rising Star.
• Co-host Lynn of Savor the Harvest introduces us to Unconventional in Castilla y Leon – Ismael Gozalo and MicroBio Wines.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla pairs Patatas a lo Pobre + Losada Bierzo 2017.
• Steve of Children of the Grape explores Hemingway and the Plains of Spain.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm explains why Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial is indeed a Special Selection.
• Terri at Our Good Life is Exploring Castilla y Leon Through Wine and Food.
• David at Cooking Chat tempts us with his Steak Picado Recipe with Ribera del Duero Wine.
• Jeff of Food Wine Click! reveals A Different Take on Castilla y Leon.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog discusses Mesmerizing Mencia – The Star Grape of Bierzo; 2018 Raúl Pérez Ultreia St-Jacques.
• Lisa The Wine Chef reveals Castilla y Leon, Home of Spain’s Best Kept Secret: Wine, Dine and Stay in an Luxe 12th Century Abbey Overlooking World-Class Vineyards.
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Rueda and Verdejo Just Keep Rolling with the #1 White Wine in Spain!
• Nicole at Somm’s Table tells us about A Phenomenal Feast at Emilio Moro.
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass discusses Rueda Verdejo – A Crisp White Alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.
• Susannah at Avvinare is Exploring Rueda’s Signature Grape, Verdejo.
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares Dominio del Pidio Albillo: Tasting an Unusual Spanish White Wine in Miami.
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator posts Cristina Forner Leads Marques de Cacerés: Her Verdejo from Rueda with Barbacoa Tacos.