Verdejo

Verdejo is a variety of wine grape that has long been grown in the Rueda region of Spain. The grape originated in North Africa, and was spread to Rueda in about the 11th Century, possibly by Mozarabs. Verdejo was generally used to make a strongly oxidized, Sherry-like wine. Today the Rueda region has the largest number of plantings of Verdejo grapes in the entire world. There are many places in Rueda with deep, sandy soils that are naturally phylloxera resistant. Some of these sandy vineyards have century’s old vineyards which produce some of the most expressive Verdejo wines.
In 1980, white wines from the Rueda region were recognized by a Denominación de Origen (DO). Wines labelled Rueda must contain 50% Verdejo; the remainder is typically Sauvignon Blanc or Macabeo. Wines designated “Rueda Verdejo” must contain 85% Verdejo, and are often 100% Verdejo.
The Verdejo grapes are generally harvested at night. This means that the grapes enter the cellar at the lower night-time temperature of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F) instead of the daytime temperature, which can be as high as 28–30 °C (82–86 °F) in September. Lower temperatures means less oxidation (and therefore less browning) of the juice. Verdejo wines can be made into two distinctive styles. Most often, you’ll encounter Verdejo as a ready to drink, light and crisp wine with herbaceous notes and fresh fruit flavours. However, when Verdejo sees more oxygen during fermentation (usually during oak-aging), the resultant wine becomes much more full-bodied and somewhat nutty, with additional notes of almond and honey. Verdejo makes subtle yet stunning white wines with flavours of lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, grass, fennel, and citrus blossom. It’s often likened to Sauvignon Blanc but really, it deserves its own category. Unlike most whites, Verdejo continues to improve over several years of bottle-aging, where it gains a rich texture and flavours of toasted Marcona almonds, supported by sparkly acidity. The bitter flavours of grass and fennel come in on the finish and almost make the wine taste crunchy. One of the best ways to drink Verdejo is alongside food. The wine’s high acidity and subtle bitterness make it work very well as a palate cleanser. Things to keep in mind when creating pairings is to use Verdejo’s lime and citrusy flavours to offset a dish. As a general rule, if you would put lime in the meal, it will probably pair well with Verdejo! That said, a Verdejo wine that has noticeable oak-aging will work better with dishes that have more cream or with coconut-based sauces.